Why did we call the new visitor center in Osekovo “Crna roda” – Black Stork?
- 04.12.2020
We named our new visitor center in Osekovo after the black stork because we wanted to raise awareness and emphasize the importance of this extremely rare and strictly protected species. A part of the educational content of our new center will be dedicated to this bird.
The black stork is a migratory bird and our indigenous nesting bird from April to September, after which it flies to the south, to warmer regions. It is a large bird with dark feathers that have a greenish-purple shine. Its chest and abdomen are white. The beak and legs are usually brownish to a dark red color, but they become bright red during mating season.
It mainly feeds on fish, insects, reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans and small mammals and birds. Interestingly, it hunts its prey by walking slowly in shallow water. When feeding, it can be seen in open areas, wet meadows, and pastures, such as Osekovsko polje. During nesting, it searches for food in the dense vegetation inside the forest.
Unlike the white stork, it builds nests on tall trees in quiet and secluded parts of old forests. The nest is well hidden and is not visible from below or above. Especially in May, when we have nice weather, you can see pairs of black storks circling above the treetops, thus marking their nesting grounds.
The black stork is a timid bird, sensitive to habitat changes and various disturbances. We can rarely see and find it because it changes its nesting place every few years and is extremely sensitive to changes in the environment. It has been recorded that it comes to the feeding ground in Osekovsko polje, i.e., in Osekovo, to which we have awarded the title of the village from which you can see the most beautiful view of Lonjsko polje. This will be our main trump card for the promotion of the new visitor center when we open it to the public.
