Spring awakening: Storks land in Marchegg – a sign of hope!

Spring awakening: Storks land in Marchegg – a sign of hope!

Spring seems to be just around the corner because the first white stork of the year has landed in Marchegg, as the WWF reports. And quite surprisingly, a day earlier than last year! The journey of storks to their winter quarters has become noticeably earlier in recent years, which is probably due to the mild winters. Many more storks are expected in the coming weeks, and the breeding season traditionally begins in April. Despite the current dry weather, the animals find good living conditions in the area, according to reports from the WWF.

The WWF also draws a positive conclusion for the 2024 stork season: a total of 54 breeding pairs were counted - more than ever since 1999! The number of young birds, at 130, is also the highest in almost three decades. This positive development is not a coincidence, as the moist meadows created by a wet winter and spring the previous year have created optimal conditions for the storks. The food supply, supported by grazing with semi-wild Konik horses, ensures that the storks find lots of insects - a real stroke of luck for their survival and a high success rate in raising their chicks.

Storks and their habitats

Thanks to the excellent conditions, many young birds from previous years were able to breed successfully, which further stabilized the population. Jurrien Westerhof from the WWF expressed optimism about the development: “The good food situation makes it easier for the storks to find food and leads to a relatively high breeding success.” This shows how important it is to preserve habitats for these impressive birds. The future of storks looks promising, and it will be exciting to see how the numbers will develop over the next few weeks, as the WWF also recognizes.