The cameras at Spolana Neratovice have
already captured a peregrine falcon examining a new dwelling. However, it still
remains unclear whether the birds will nestle there. Peregrine falcons have
been spotted at the chemical site several times since 2018. For the first time
last year, they settled in the box placed on a column in the second part of the
premises, i.e., outside the camera’s finder. They muscled out the box’s
previous tenants – kestrels. Pigeons had picked the original box until the male
peregrine came to put everything right. So, there will be lots of dramas even
this year. The nesting can be watched online at www.starameseosokoly.cz.
“The nesting season, i.e., the period
from the courtship dances until they raise their young, starts at the end of
February. Until then, the peregrine couple lives at their usual pace – they fly
around, hunt, and rest. After the chicks are born, it is followed by two months
of constant care, so the young can leave the nest in July and set out for their
journey into the world. Especially females are great travellers. We have
registered peregrine falcons born in the Czech Republic flying in Germany,
France, or in the north of Spain. Then, the parents enjoy their deserved rest
until the next courtship starts,” ornithologist
Václav Beran of the ALKA Wildlife association sums up the
peregrine falcon’s lifecycle. Also
this year, the peregrine couples’ nesting can be watched online at www.starameseosokoly.cz.
The peregrine falcon is a critically
endangered species. There are only about 120 couples in the Czech Republic. As
this bird of prey does not build nests, we can most frequently find them in the
rocks or, surprisingly enough, on industrial sites. They choose highly
positioned locations with a good view, peace, and enough food. Six chicks have
already been born at Spolana, and forty small peregrines have already hatched
on ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s chimneys since 2011.
SPOLANA a.s.
is one of the largest chemical manufacturing companies in the Czech Republic.
The only manufacturer of PVC and caprolactam also produces ammonium sulphate
and sulphuric acid. It currently employs over 700 people. Spolana has been
owned by the ORLEN Unipetrol Group since 2016. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the
largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on
crude oil processing and production, distributing and selling fuels and
petrochemical products – mainly plastics and fertilisers. It is one of the
major players in the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The
ORLEN Unipetrol Group includes refineries and production plants in Litvínov and
Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, and two
research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the
Benzina ORLEN network in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 421 outlets, Benzina ORLEN
is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies
in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs more than 4,800 people. In
addition to its business development, ORLEN Unipetrol is proud to be a socially
responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays equal attention to initiatives
focusing on cultivating and supporting sustainable development, education,
local communities, and the environment. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the PKN Orlen
Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe.
Contact details: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, telephone: +420 736 502 520, email:
pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz