At least three dozen white storks died in Upper Bavaria during the severe storm at the weekend. Around 35 birds fell victim to hail at Kleinweil near the Kochelsee. This was announced by the Bavarian nature conservation association LBV from Hilpoltstein in Central Franconia. Four storks were taken to the animal clinic in Weilheim. Two of them were put to sleep, two slightly injured are now being nursed back to health.
LBV white stork expert Oda Wieding explained that hail is not only dangerous for people, but also for animals and especially for birds in the open country. “Probably not only the storks are affected, but also smaller, rare, meadow-breeding birds like the common snipe.” Species like them usually simply waited out the rain and meanwhile crouched in the meadow or perched on a nearby tree. “But if heavy hail suddenly sets in, the birds in the open area have no chance of escaping. In addition, it’s not so easy to fly with wet feathers.”
The LBV only reported a white stork breeding record for Bavaria last Wednesday. According to this, there were around 1,200 breeding pairs in Bavaria this year – more than ever since records began in 1900. The development can be attributed to the protection of food areas and the construction of nesting aids. It also helps that the storks are increasingly doing without long, dangerous wintering flights.
There are 6,000 to 6,500 white stork breeding pairs nationwide. In addition to the white stork, a second stork species lives in Germany: the black stork. It has black plumage with a metallic green shimmer, its belly is white, its beak and legs are red like the white stork. Unlike the slightly larger white stork, the black stork avoids human settlements. Nationwide there are only 800 to 900 breeding pairs. Conservationists assume that this number will increase thanks to protective measures.