Protected areas

Peregrine Falcon A male peregrine falcon was first observed near PKN ORLEN production facilities in Płock and in their vicinity in 1996. As the bird was seen in the following years, too, in 1999, the Company joined a programme for the restitution of the peregrine falcon population in Poland by settling the bird in a favourable habitat. We began cooperation with the “Peregrine Falcon Restitution in Poland” Programme Board (in 2002 – Society for Wild Animals FALCON, Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Dzikich Zwierząt “SOKÓŁ”). This is one of very few programmes of its kind in Poland.

There are three basic methods of reintroducing a peregrine falcon:

• adoption, meaning that captive-bred falcons of a similar age as wild nestlings are placed in the nest of a wild bird;
• foreign adoption, where falcons are released into the wild using the existing nests of other predatory birds, if no natural wild falcon nests are available;
• the “test-flight – artificial nest” is the most commonly used method in Poland and it involves putting a bird in a cage with a special roof, the structure of which is similar to the place where the bird will be released.
  

Reintroduced birds are ringed. The colour of the ring depends on where the bird is released: from mountains – red, from urban areas – yellow, from a forest – green.

In 1999, two nest boxes were fixed on the high chimneys of the CHP and Claus Unit at the Production Plant in Płock. Since then, we have often seen birds in their vicinity, and finally, in February 2001, a couple of falcons settled down for good in the nest box on a CHP chimney at PKN ORLEN’s premises in Płock. Chicks hatched for the first time in May 2002. In 2002–2008, 21 nestlings have been born. Thus, we can say with certainty that we have at the Production Plant in Płock the most permanent and most reproductive pair in Poland.

The falcons are regularly monitored at our premises, in particular their nest boxes are checked, video recordings and photos are taken and nestlings are ringed. We do all this in collaboration with the Society for Wild Animals FALCON.

For more information visit www.peregrinus.pl.