Wildlife of Berlin: Urban Biodiversity in a Green Capital

Animals Thriving in the German Metropolis

Berlin's 891 km² include vast forests (Grunewald, Tegel), parks (Tiergarten, Tempelhofer Feld), lakes, and rivers — supporting surprising wildlife diversity.

Mammals (59 species recorded)

• Common: Red fox (ubiquitous, ~3,000), European hedgehog, red squirrel, brown rat, mice/voles.
• Ungulates: Wild boar (common in forests, venture into suburbs), roe deer, fallow deer (enclosures).
• Mustelids: Stone marten, least weasel, European polecat.
• Bats: 18 species (Pipistrelle, Noctule, Daubenton's) — protected.
• Rare/Returning: Beaver (reintroduced, Spree/Havel), otter (recolonizing), raccoon (invasive, established), raccoon dog (invasive).

Birds (180+ breeding species)

• Urban adapters: House sparrow, feral pigeon, swift, blackbird, great tit, blue tit, magpie, jay, hooded crow.
• Waterbirds: Mute swan, greylag goose, mallard, coot, moorhen, grey heron, cormorant.
• Raptors: Goshawk, sparrowhawk, peregrine (nesting on towers), red kite (increasing).
• Specialties: Nightingale (Tiergarten), kingfisher, wryneck, icterine warbler.

Reptiles & Amphibians

• Reptiles: Sand lizard, common lizard, slow worm, grass snake, dice snake (rare, rivers).
• Amphibians: Common frog, common toad, smooth newt, palmate newt, fire-bellied toad (rare).

Fish (40+ species in Spree/Havel/lakes)

• Cyprinids: Roach, rudd, bream, tench, carp.
• Predators: Pike, zander, perch, eel (critically endangered).
• Migratory: Atlantic salmon (reintroduction), sea trout.

Conservation Framework

• Natura 2000 sites (15% city area).
• Landscape Programme (LaPro) — biotope network.
• Wildlife corridors (green bridges, culverts).
• Citizen science: ArtenFinder, NABU monitoring.

Berlin proves high-density urbanity and wild nature can coexist — with deliberate planning.