Swallow Savior! BN Group counts nests in Pielenhofen and the surrounding area

Swallow Savior! BN Group counts nests in Pielenhofen and the surrounding area

The swallow population is increasingly threatened in the communities of Pettendorf, Pielenhofen and Wolfsegg. The BN local group has therefore launched a project in 2025 to record the breeding swallows and document their nesting places. To this end, primary school students in the three communities were called upon in July 2025 to look for and report swallows' nests. Under the leadership of Horst Bogener, the members of the BN project group have already carried out the first surveys, which are recorded on geographical maps.

A total of 67 inhabited barn swallow nests and 16 house martin nests were reported in Pielenhofen. These nests are located, among others, at Kaltes Eck Stahlbau, where a house martin nest and two barn swallow nests with brood were recorded. Despite these positive reports, the responsible conservationists make it clear that the recording cannot be complete and error-free. Residents are requested to add or correct nest locations. Contacts for this are available via email and telephone.

The meaning of the swallows

Swallows, which belong to the family Hirundinidae, are known for their ability to catch flying insects in flight. They are migratory birds and travel thousands of kilometers to move to warmer areas. Three species in particular are common in Europe: the house martin, the barn swallow and the sand martin. Their nests, built from mud and grass, are often found in sheltered places such as rooftops and barns. Swallows are local and return to the same nesting site every year, highlighting the importance of preserving their breeding grounds.

However, the swallow population in the affected communities has declined sharply in recent years. According to the Nature Conservation Union, old cow stables that were once rich in swallow nests are now scarce, while in other areas farmers are trying to preserve nesting opportunities in horse stables. Swallow biodiversity is not only suffering from the destruction of such nesting sites, but also from the influence of pesticides and climatic changes, which further threaten their habitat.

Protective measures and initiatives

Various measures are necessary to protect the swallows and their nesting places. Initiatives such as Swallow-Friendly Homes work to educate people about the value of swallows and encourage them to install nesting boxes on their properties. When renovating buildings, nesting places should also be taken into account in order to protect threatened swallow populations. With the right attention and commitment from communities, the region's swallow population could be revitalized, returning to a piece of nature familiar to many.

Further information about swallow recording and swallows in the region is available online. The results of the survey are shown in detail on maps and can be viewed using the link provided. The BN local group and the committed citizens hope that their efforts will preserve the swallows as valuable parts of the local ecosystem and bring them back home.