PGE explains decision to remove stork's nest in Sieniawa
Konrad Siwik,16.04.2024 16:45A couple of storks recently arrived in the Podkarpackie voivodeship with the intention of building their nest on a transmission tower in Sieniawa. However, the Emergency Electricity Service thwarted their efforts. PGE, the company that owns the transmission tower, stated that they made this decision out of concern for the well-being of these beautiful and large birds.
On 6 April, Sieniawa residents recorded a video and took photos of storks building a nest on a transmission tower. Later, PGE workers from Przeworsk removed the nest using a long pole, and their action was also caught on camera.
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The nest was removed out of concern for the welfare of storks
During an interview with Polsat News, a representative from PGE informed the journalists that the company's workers had removed a stork's nest due to concerns for the safety of both the storks and passers-by. According to PGE Dystrybucja spokeswoman Ewa Wiatr, the nest was located above a pavement, which posed a danger to people. In addition, building the nest directly on a transmission tower without a special platform could have exposed the storks to electrocution.
Interestingly, after the nest was removed, the storks returned to the tower and started building again. This time, they were not disturbed because the owners of the property where the transmission tower is located changed their minds and allowed the birds to continue. If the storks permanently inhabit the site, a special platform will be installed for the birds after their breeding season, usually starting in April, is over.
Storks are strictly protected in Poland. Unfortunately, their nests are often dismantled by PGE due to their heavy weight. Stork nests can measure up to 2-3 metres high and weigh over a tonne, so the risk of a transmission tower collapse is not unfounded.
A stork nest can weigh over a tonne
The average weight of a stork's nest in Poland is almost 400 kg, and the heaviest one on record weighed nearly 1.5 tonnes. These figures come from biologist and ornithologist Adam Zbyryt at the University of Białystok, who weighed 145 nests. According to Zbyryt, nests are only moved for two reasons: when the structures on which they are built threaten to collapse or when the birds have settled too close to houses whose owners do not tolerate dirt, for example.
The removal of a nest in Sieniawa has sparked discussions on the protection of storks and human safety. PGE ensures that it acts with concern for both sides in such situations and takes steps to provide optimal conditions for the storks and the safety of passers-by.
Source: Polsat News
