“This is the 13th
season of our support of peregrine nesting at ORLEN Unipetrol. The public can
traditionally watch their stories in a live
broadcast from four chimneys in three locations on our production premises.
Peregrine falcons regularly nest on two chimneys in Litvínov and one in Kralupy
nad Vltavou and one in Neratovice. We have installed one box on a chimney in
Paramo Pardubice this year. We believe this season to be successful for
peregrine pairs and hope they will nest in our boxes and raise their young,” comments Katarzyna Woś, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at
the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.
The live broadcast from the nests gives the public a unique opportunity
to learn more about this precious bird of prey. The boxes are installed at a
height of more than 100 metres because peregrine falcons seek as high places as
possible to nest and have absolute peace and an excellent view. Ornithologist
Václav Beran from the ALKA Wildlife association prepares the boxes for the
entire season every year before the peregrine nesting and courtship. “We repainted
the nesting boxes in autumn and added a new artificial grass carpet and
keramzit. Thus, peregrine pairs have their hideaways ready for the spring
season. The period of courtship to raising the chicks usually starts at the
turn of February and March, i.e., the season really starts now. We have already observed peregrines on the
chimneys in Litvínov, Neratovice, and Pardubice. The warmer weather could mean
they will start nesting earlier.”
A female peregrine falcon usually lays one to four
eggs and sits on them for about 30 days until the eyases are born. Then, a real
whirl and rush start for the parents because the offspring require regular care
and feed. Their substantial menu includes pigeons, gulls, various small birds,
and bats. Ornithologists ring the chicks after about three weeks to clarify the
birds’ origin in the Czech territory in the future. They also record the
chicks’ gender when seeing the nest. In June, the chicks are strong and
experienced enough to leave the nest. Young raptors leave home to acquire
experience and look for their own territory after two to three years, where
they can provide for themselves and bring another generation of this endangered
bird species into the world. The life span of peregrine falcons is up to 20
years, and they return to their popular nesting location all their life. These
birds disappeared from our nature in the 1960s, but their numbers slowly
continued growing in the new century. There are about 130 peregrine falcon
pairs in Czechia now.
The
ORLEN Unipetrol Group
is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It
focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of
vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and
fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European
markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries
and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice,
Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in
Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN Benzina filling station
network in the Czech Republic and a network of ORLEN outlets in Slovakia and
Hungary. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the
largest multi-energy company in Central Europe. ORLEN Unipetrol employs almost
6,000 people and is active in corporate social responsibility. It seeks to
promote initiatives that cultivate and support sustainable development,
education, local communities, and the environment.
Contact: Pavel Kaidl, spokesperson, telephone:
+420 736 502 520, e-mail: pavel.kaidl@orlenunipetrol.cz
