Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- Germany's nature conservation groups NABU and its Bavarian partner LBV have opened public voting to choose the country's Bird of the Year for 2027, with anyone able to cast a ballot online at vogeldesjahres.de through October 15 at 11 a.m., when the winner will be announced the same day.
Five candidates are competing to succeed the grey partridge, the current title-holder. NABU bird protection expert Martin Ruemmler said the candidates show the diversity of the country's bird life, noting that some migrate as far as Africa each winter while others stay put year-round, and that each finalist highlights a conservation issue deserving attention.
Five finalists each carry a distinct conservation message
The common raven, campaigning under the slogan "Black feathers, bright mind," is the world's largest songbird and mates for life, but faces threats from shootings and poisonings by people who dislike it.
The common crane, standing up to 116 centimeters tall and taller than a white stork, is known for its elegant spring courtship dances and dramatic autumn migration formations; its campaign slogan is "Wet feet, always," reflecting its dependence on wetlands for resting and breeding.
The common house martin, an insect-eating bird that builds mud nests on building exteriors, is listed as endangered on the Red List because declining insect numbers and the removal of its nests during building renovations threaten its population; its slogan is "For good neighborly relations."
The European pied flycatcher, an agile aerial hunter that often catches food mid-flight, is also endangered: climate-driven earlier springs mean it frequently returns from its wintering grounds south of the Sahara to find nesting cavities and insect prey already scarce. Its slogan is "Speed up for the climate."
The white-throated dipper is the only native songbird able to dive, swim, and walk underwater, thanks to dense, water-adapted plumage. It nests along fast-flowing, rocky streams mainly in central and southern Germany and is currently not considered endangered. Its slogan: "Clear stream, clear choice."
Public voting has decided the winner since 2021
Germany first named a Bird of the Year in 1971, but the title has been determined by public vote only since 2021. This year's five candidates were unveiled on September 8, and voting closes October 15 at 11 a.m., with the result revealed that same day.