Austria’s heraldic animal on the upswing – Diepresse.com

Ah, maybe there, ”says Christian Pichler and looks through the binoculars that hang around his neck.“ No, but again a red kite. ” This scenario will repeat itself a few more times. Of these birds there are here in the floodplain reserve of the WWF Many in Marchegg. But also a few sea eagles that should actually be about. Because Austria’s heraldic animal tells a success story.

It is not surprising that the birds of prey in the area in Lower Austria feel comfortable. Birds chirp, storks clatter, crows crows. The first green works through the brown leaves, meadow flowers provide colorful swabs. Many old, high trees. The grass is not mowed, only grazed by the so-called conic horses. Deadwood and feces may remain, which is pleased with many types of beetles. Nature can be nature here in the reserve. And that’s exactly what the sea eagles need.

Three couples have their hearts here. They are currently breeding, which is why it is relatively difficult to see them. The chicks will soon hatch. « Sea eagles are together for a lifetime, get young birds and usually remain true to the location, » explains Pichler. He is a species protection expert in the nature and species protection organization WWF. In the meantime, 90 breeding pairs live in Austria. Until then it was a long way. Because until 2000, the big birds in Austria were considered extinct.

« That was a extermination campaign »

The reason for this was man. « With these large birds of prey, it was always the competition that was feared, » says Pichler. Because they chase, like people, fish and ducks. « It was a extermination campaign with poison and kills, » says the expert, « sometimes you shot into the nest from below. » This is also the reason why most sea eagles in Austria are still very shy. « Because those who survived were those who fled relatively quickly as soon as people were nearby. » They would now have to be hunted little for two or three decades that this will change again.