Burgenland records strong white stork breeding season

Burgenland remains Austria’s main stronghold for white storks, with a positive breeding season despite a dry summer, ORF reported. The young birds have generally developed well, while the storks are leaving for the south earlier than usual this year.

BirdLife data recorded 210 nests in Burgenland, Lower Austria and Carinthia. Particularly high numbers of fledged young were reported in the Waldviertel and Oberwart district. In Oberwart, each nest produced an average of more than 2.7 fledged young, well above the Austrian average.

Burgenland remains the Austrian state with the largest stork population, with 166 breeding pairs. The number has risen significantly in recent years, from 138 pairs in 2015.

Breeding success was lower in the districts of Güssing and Jennersdorf, where an average of only 1.8 young storks fledged per nest. Some birds were affected by the few but heavy rainfalls during the season.