Twin beaks! Poland's declining stork population leaves scientists stumped
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- 18 May 2022
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Scientists carrying out research into the once-a-decade International Stork Census found that in the last 10 years there has been a staggering 35.5 percent drop in stork numbers.
Presenting their results in Acta Ornithologica, Dr. Andrzej WuczyÅ„ski from the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences said: “Unfortunately, the main result is not optimistic.
“Data analysis shows that over a decade, in a 23 percent area of Poland, the number of storks dropped by as much as 35.5 percent.
“That is a lot for a species of bird with a long life span and a relatively slow reproduction rate.”
Other data show declines also on a national scale, although those are not that drastic.
Stork population drops in the highland areas of the Sudetes and the Carpathians turned out to be 50 percent smaller than those in the lowlands, which suggests that storks are doing better in the mountains.
WuczyÅ„ski said: “We don't actually know what causes the decline and local trend differences, the causes may result from phenomena occurring in breeding areas in Central Europe, on the stork migration route, or in its African wintering grounds. Read More...
