Record year for storks: Young stork children discovered in Münchweiler!

Record year for storks: Young stork children discovered in Münchweiler!

A true stork summer is celebrated in Münchweiler! Gerhard Jendryschik was pleased to see this month that the storks in the Southwest Palatinate region are really doing well. A hungry baby stork that loudly opened its beak is just one of many examples of the flourishing offspring. Back in April, Jendryschik observed a pair of storks happily perching on a mast at the Neumühle estate. All of this shows: The storks not only have a good knack for romance, but also for raising their chicks!

The highlight of this season is the record number of stork nests in the region. In the Trualb and Hornbach valleys, 88 nests with offspring were counted - an impressive number that has never been achieved before. This development is not only continuing in Münchweiler, but is a sign of the positive population development of storks throughout Germany.

Stork on the rise

As the nature conservation organization NABU reports, the population of the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) has grown continuously in recent decades. From around 9,000 breeding pairs in 1934, the number has increased to around 7,532 breeding pairs in 2019. This makes it clear that efforts to protect species are paying off. In addition, the white stork has a wide distribution area that extends from North Africa through Europe to Asia. The main breeding areas include Poland and southwestern France and in Germany it is primarily native to the old federal states.

A remarkable trend can be seen in the winter habits of storks. More and more members of the species are now overwintering on the Iberian Peninsula, which leads to fewer dangers and losses. Improved wintering conditions in West Africa and the decline in intensive agriculture in Eastern Europe are also likely factors contributing to the increase in breeding pairs.

Habitat and challenges

The storks' habitats are diverse; the animals feel comfortable in open landscapes, wet grassland and river basins. They nest not only on roofs, but also on poles and trees - their nests can be enormously large. However, an increase in breeding pairs also means challenges. Changes in climate change, food availability and human intervention endanger the species. Monitoring, as carried out in Bavaria by the Bavarian State Office for the Environment and the State Association for Bird and Nature Conservation, is therefore of central importance for the protection of these majestic birds.

With this pleasing example of the stork's nest in Münchweiler, we can look to the future with optimism. The successes in species protection for the white stork are a sign that environmental awareness and nature conservation can go hand in hand. Let us continue to ensure that our feathered friends remain highly popular in the coming years and can continue to create beautiful stork nests in the region!

For more information about the white stork and its way of life, visit NABU and LFU or find out about the exciting developments in population dynamics in the district at Rheinpfalz.