"Feathered Heroines": 100 Foster Mothers in Action at EGS Haringsee

Around 100 foster mothers are currently taking care of injured and orphaned young birds at the Owl and Bird of Prey Station Haringsee in the Gänserndorf district. According to the animal welfare organization Four Paws, the EGS is the only care station in Austria where young bird foundlings are raised by foster parents of the same bird species. In contrast to hand-rearing by humans, about 90 percent of the foundlings can be released back into the wild when raised by the same species.

Foster Mothers as "Feathered Heroines"

On the occasion of Mother's Day, they wanted to bring the approximately 100 "feathered heroines" of the station into the spotlight, said EGS director Hans Frey in the announcement. The foster parents themselves could no longer be released into the wild and now take young animals of the same species under their wings as if they were their own, Frey said. Due to the sufficient food supply in the EGS, a single pair of kestrels can raise up to 15 juvenile animals. Bearded vultures, which usually only care for a single young, take care of up to four nestlings in Haringsee.

Numerous Animals in EGS Haringsee

In 2024, 2,842 animals were cared for at the EGS Haringsee. In addition to birds of prey and owls, otters, hedgehogs, squirrels, hares, and other small mammals were professionally cared for to be released back into the wild afterwards.

(APA/Red)

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