Rare peregrine falcons died in Teplické skály due to bird flu

Update: 18.05.2023 12:07

Teplice nad Metují (Náchod Region) – In the Teplice Rocks in Náchod Region, in the Broumovsko Protected Area, two falcons that were nesting there died at the weekend. Their three cubs are also dead. An autopsy by the State Veterinary Institute (SVÚ) proved infection with bird flu. ČTK was informed about this today by the spokeswoman of the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency (AOPK) of the Czech Republic, Karolína Šulová. According to conservationists, the deaths of wild birds due to avian flu are not exceptional. So far this year, agency workers have recorded nesting attempts of eight pairs of falcons in Broumovsk. The death of a pair of falcons in Teplické stěny eliminated the reason for closing the circuit there for tourists.

“We took the birds to an autopsy to rule out third-party culpability. Sometimes it is found that the animals were poisoned. But in the case of the falcons in Teplické skály, the cause was infection with bird flu. Even so, it is sad news. We hope that the other falcon pairs on The Broumovska will successfully bring out the young,” said Petr Kafka, zoologist of the Protected Landscape Area Administration (PLK) Broumovsko from AOPK CR.

Last year, four pairs of falcons managed to raise young in Broumovsk, which was the most in the last 70 years. Due to pesticides, falcons disappeared in the middle of the last century and did not repopulate the Broumovsk region until around 2000.

“The death of a pair of falcons in the Teplické stény also removed the reason for closing the circuit for tourists and it is accessible again. We thank all visitors who respected this restriction. Due to the nesting of falcons, the Frýdlant lookout point on Mount Ostaš is still closed. However, the passage around the lookout point is preserved for tourists, ” said Kafka.

In the spring, conservationists in Broumovsk regularly restrict access to some places in the rock towns due to the nesting of protected peregrine falcons. In Teplické skály, it is usually a section of the sightseeing circuit near the Temple Walls, including the blue tourist sign, where the reason for the closure this year has already passed. The second closed area, the Frýdlant Lookout on Mount Ostaš, remains closed until mid-June. Conservationists issue this measure annually in Teplické skály, and in other areas of Broumovsko depending on the situation.

The population of peregrine falcons has been growing slightly in the Czech Republic in recent years, but part of the nesting is still unsuccessful. This also applies to Broumovsko, where in recent years around eight pairs have been nesting in rocky areas. Most of the nests are in the area of ​​Adršpašsko-teplické rocks. In Broumovsk, falcons began to appear again in the 1990s, the first pair nested around 2000.

Teplické rocks are one of the most attractive sandstone rock towns in the Czech Republic. The well-maintained sightseeing circuit that leads through the Teplice Rocks is about six kilometers long. Along with tourists, the rocks also attract climbers. The Teplice and Adršpaš rock towns are, with their area of ​​1,803 hectares, the largest national nature reserve in the Czech Republic.