The Animal-Aided Design (AAD) method uses species portraits as part of the design process. A species portrait provides all the essential information planners need to design for a specific target species. In particular, it outlines the special habitat requirements of a species — referred to as its critical habitat factors. For each phase of the species’ life cycle, the portrait specifies which critical habitat factors must be taken into account.

Each species portrait begins with a brief description of the species — what it looks like, where it lives, how to identify it, how it can be perceived by humans, what benefits it provides, and which potential conflicts may occur. This is followed by a description of the critical habitat factors according to life stages, along with planning guidance for implementation. Finally, the portrait includes additional information about the species that may be of interest to planners or citizens.

Species portraits are developed with great care, based on current scientific literature and in consultation with experts. Whenever new insights emerge on how to support a species’ survival in urban environments, they are incorporated into the portrait. Thus, species portraits are living documents that reflect the current state of knowledge.

Use of Species Portraits
Species portraits created within publicly funded research projects are linked here and can be downloaded free of charge. Their use is permitted for non-commercial purposes only. Any modification, distribution, or publication is allowed only with proper attribution. The copyright and usage information provided on each portrait must be observed.

All other species portraits are subject to our licensing model and may only be used under a valid license agreement. Please contact us if you are interested in using them. Special conditions apply for academic work; we are happy to provide details upon request.