Hilpoltstein (dpa / lby) – The Franconian Forest should become a European bird sanctuary – this is what the State Association for Bird Protection (LBV) demands. The Upper Franconian region is Germany’s most important breeding area for the rare black stork, the LBV announced on Monday in Hilpoltstein in central Franconia. The black stork is one of the endangered species for which protected areas must be designated under the Birds Directive. The animal is particularly in need of protection across Europe, although the number of black storks has recently increased again.
The Franconian Forest extends in northern Upper Franconia between the towns of Kronach, Kulmbach and Hof. If it were a European bird sanctuary, the black storks nesting there could be looked after and protected much better, the LBV spokesman said. The black stork needs trees in large, undivided forests as well as natural watercourses or intact wetlands to breed successfully. The LBV warned that interventions in the landscape or wind turbines made breeding more difficult for the animals and could reduce the number of young animals.
