Rooks: Bavarian farmers urgently demand protective measures!

Rooks: Bavarian farmers urgently demand protective measures!

The Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV) called a press conference on May 23, 2025 to draw attention to the increasingly critical situation related to rooks. Agricultural businesses are faced with massive damage to the sowing of crops, which has increased sharply. Participants in the event included Matthias Heitmayr, district chairman of the Fürstenfeldbruck district, as well as Ralf Huber, BBV district president, Johann Drexl, district chairman of Aichach-Friedberg, numerous affected farmers, hunters as well as representatives of the press and a television team.

The problems caused by rooks (Corvus frugilegus) are in stark contrast to the conservation status of these birds. There are now around 20,000 breeding pairs in Bavaria, which corresponds to an annual increase of around 10 percent. Last season, agricultural damage of over 730,000 euros was documented in the Fürstenfeldbruck and Aichach-Friedberg districts alone, particularly to corn, vegetables, sunflowers and pumpkins. This damage occurs particularly in the sowing and germination phase, which endangers the economic existence of many farmers. The BBV appeals to the authorities to take measures to strike a balance between species protection and the legitimate interests of agriculture.

Protection status and deterrence measures

The rook is a protected species whose populations have increased from fewer than 1,000 breeding pairs in the 1950s to over 17,000. The birds have adapted excellently to human settlements, with only about 6% of their population breeding outside of cities. This change can be attributed, among other things, to disturbances, targeted scare measures and the earlier hunting until 1977. The conflicts caused by the rooks are mainly expressed in noise pollution, pollution and massive damage to agricultural crops, which causes major problems for farmers. Deterrence measures are often only temporarily effective and cause additional costs of tens of thousands of euros per company.

The multi-risk insurance in Bavaria has so far only offered limited protection in that it only covers the costs of the seeds and not the loss of the harvest. Vegetable farms in particular are in a critical situation because many types of vegetables cannot be insured. Farmers are calling for comprehensive support and possible protection in order to be able to counteract the threatening damage caused by the rooks.

Scientific approaches and funding measures

In order to improve the situation, a “model project for the management of rooks” was launched in 2020, which is based on a state parliament resolution. This project, which runs from 2021 to 2024, involves close cooperation with the agricultural administration and the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences. One focus of the project is the installation of a reporting chain to document the damage and to examine the behavior of the birds using satellite transmitters.

The government is called upon to provide financial support through a damage fund and also to promote insurance to secure the economic future of companies. A phased concept for dealing with the rook colonies has already been developed by the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment. It recommends specific approaches to defuse the conflicts while maintaining species protection.

Overall, an adjustment of the legal framework is urgently needed in order to ensure the economic survival of agriculture and to take nature conservation concerns into account. The BBV urgently appeals to political decision-makers to take action here.

For more information on the situation of the rooks and the protective measures implemented, we refer to the reporting by Merkur.de and the detailed management strategies of the Bavarian State Office for the Environment.