White storks in Burgenland: decline in stocks gets experts!

White storks in Burgenland: decline in stocks gets experts!

Burgenland, Österreich - The white stork is a true symbol of the Burgenland and is currently causing a stir. Since March 1, 2025, the first stork has been sighted in Burgenland, which marks its impressive return from Africa. Last year the stork came on February 22nd. These fascinating birds have built their nest over the "Vinatrium" and have been at home for several years. Stockets for the storks are not only in Burgenland, but are also counted in Lower Austria and Styria. Downhill, however, in some regions, how whoever observes the stocks in Southern Burgenland is concerned with worrying declines, as the bird protection organization Birdlife Austria reports.

strong home and threatened inventory

126 nest pairs currently live in Burgenland, which is about a third of the Austrian stock. Storks are particularly common around the Neusiedler See and in the Oberwart and Güssing districts. But not all districts enjoy stable watches: the animal expert Eva Karner-Ranner draws attention to alarming declines in Güssing and Oberwart, where the number of pairs of stork has dropped dramatically since 2001. There were 46 couples there, now there are only 32 in Oberwart and worrying 12 in Güssing. The main cause? The dwindling number of habitats due to agricultural changes. The massive loss of meadows has negative effects on the food intake of the storks, the valuable hunting areas of which are becoming increasingly less common. This development began in the 1980s and urgently required solutions.

In many communities, a rethink must take place to actively support the storks. While meadow protection projects have already been implemented successfully in Northern Burgenland, similar initiatives are lacking in the south. "Actually promoting meadow areas and wetlands would be of great importance," continued Karner-Ranner. The nesting places of the storks are also on the agenda; Thanks to the financial support of the country for the care and promotion of stork nests, a ray of hope is shown. It is also interesting to know that the storks are mainly settled on chimneys because suitable trees are becoming increasingly rare for their large nests. The return of these majestic birds is not only a sign of summer, but also urgently requires measures to maintain their habitat in order to secure future generations of the white storks in Burgenland, such as meinbezirk.at and orf.at report.