20.10.2014 change 20.10.2014

Autumn concentration of cranes peaks of in the mouth of the Warta

Warta Mouth National Park is one of the most important places in Poland for migratory birds. In early autumn, before the geese get there, the vast floodplains are dominated by cranes. According to the last count, there are approx. 10 thousand of these birds in the park.

Past few years have brought a significant increase in the number of cranes which flock to this park in the autumn. The record number of 19 thousand birds was recorded in 2013.

According to naturalists it is difficult to explain exactly why the cranes began to congregate on the backwaters of the mouth of the Warta before winter.

"The overall increase of the population of the species certainly contributed to this phenomenon, as did the increase in corn growing around the park. Cranes, like most migratory birds, choose stopping places that are located near convenient feeding grounds. Furthermore, the recent record-congregations in the park were related to the sudden cooling in the north and east of Europe, which forced the birds to leave those areas" - told PAP Michał Leszczyński from the Warta Mouth National Park.

According to Leszczyński, this fall there is little chance of beating the record number of cranes from 2013, as the flights of this species in Poland peak in late September and early October.

Cranes flying this time of year to the Warta river backwaters are birds nesting in the central, northern and eastern Europe, and in other Polish regions. Some of these birds remain in the mouth of the Warta until the first frost, and in mild winters some of them even spend the winter.

This area is the perfect place for them to overnight. At dawn they set off to the rich feeding grounds, mostly farmland. As long as the cold does not bother the birds, they take advantage of these circumstances as long as possible.

Crane is a large bird found in Europe and Asia. It reaches a height of about 130 cm, a wingspan can reach 2.2 meters at weight of 5-6 kg. It mostly lives on wetlands, lakes and oxbow lake areas. Polish cranes often spend winter in the Iberian Peninsula, and during harsh winters - in North Africa.

Crane is omnivorous, but prefers plant food. It does not avoid "meat-ons", such as small rodents, amphibians, snails and insects. Those are also in abundance in the Warta Mouth National Park.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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