BLACK STORK IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC – PRESENT STATUS AND CONSERVATION

Frantisek Pojer
Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic, Kalisnicka 4-6, 130 23 Prague 3, Czech Rep.

The distribution of the Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) in the Czech Republic has rapidly changed during the 20th century. Only a few pairs nested in southern Moravia from the end of 19th century until 1930, while the species now breeds throughout the whole Czech Republic. The successful penetration into Moravia and Bohemia that began in the late 1940s and early 1950s has been well documented up to the present. 
The estimated numbers of breeding pairs during different periods since 1930 are there: 4-5 pairs until 1930, about 20-25 pairs in 1942–1945, 50 pairs in 1964, 100–150 pairs in the late 1970s, 200–300 pairs by 1989. The last census of breeding pairs in 1994 was supposed to amount to 320-330 pairs. The next estimation will be a result of the 3rd  Breeding Bird Distribution Mapping in the Czech Republic in 2001-2003 organised by the Czech Society for Ornithology.
It seems that numbers of Black Stork breeding pairs are quite stable and they have very good productivity in the Czech Republic during the 1990s. In 1994-2000, the authors checked more than 40 nesting territories in a study area in central and southwestern Bohemia annually. 20-30 nests were occupied in the above area and number of successful nests with hatchlings varied between 13-19 (13,17,13,17,19,14,19). Black Stork pairs relatively often change and abandon the nests (sometimes because of human disturbance or because of the nest falling down the tree but sometimes without an apparent cause). On the other hand we know a nest continuously occupied in 1987 – 2000, i.e. annually, more the young were successfully reared from this nest). The number of offspring in successful nests varied in the range (2.60) 3.18-3.62 (3.77) young per nest in 1994-2000. In a total, in 112 nest there were 368 young (average size is quite high – 3.29 young/nest).
Under the Czech National Council Act No. 114/1992 Gazette on Protection of Nature and the Landscape the Black Stork is listed as Specially Protected Species. The significant proportion of the population (more than one third) is located in Protected Landscape Areas and National Parks as well as in IBAs. Similarly, the EC´s NATURA 2000 network being established under the Bird Directive in the framework of the EU accession process will be very important for the Black Stork conservation. Landscape protection and management, favourable for the above bird species, is also carried out within the Ministry of the Environment´s Landscape Management Programmes. They improve inappropriate activities in the landscape (Water System Restoration Scheme – removing canalizations and making watercourses more natural), establishing sewage treatment plants, restoration and creation of small water reservoirs, pools and ponds. At sites where Black Stork´s nests fell down or are threatened, artificial nest platforms are erected.