2023
Award Recipient: Wolfgang Dornberger

Wolfgang Dornberger, a member of the DO-G since 1969, is receiving this year’s Hans-Löhrl Prize for his long-term studies—spanning nearly 50 years—on the biology and population trends of the yellowhammer.
The publication provides a summary of these findings, which were obtained using classical field ornithological methods

Dornberger, W 2019: Biology of the Yellowhammer in Hohenlohe-Franken. Ornithol. Anzeiger 57: 198–227.

Reliable information on long-term population trends—especially for common bird species, particularly songbirds—is unfortunately rare. That is why this study, conducted with perseverance and in the face of numerous obstacles, remains an exception. Particularly against the backdrop of the “agricultural transition,” its value lies in translating the habitat requirements of such species into tailored conservation projects. This has been achieved in the case of his yellowhammer population, as the number of yellowhammers in his study area has remained stable over five decades, bucking the trend.

Wolfgang Dornberger worked briefly at the Radolfzell Bird Observatory, where he had the opportunity to meet Hans Löhrl in person. He is actively involved in a variety of volunteer roles in ornithology, nature conservation, and environmental education.

Prof. Dr. Oliver Krüger
, Dr. Bernd Leisler
, Dr. Karl Schulze-Hagen
, Prof. Dr. Hans Winkler

Presented at the 156th Annual Meeting
in Augsburg on September 20, 2023

The President
, Dr. Wolfgang Fiedler