NO DRONES ALLOWED; TRAVEL ONLY ON MARKED PATHS

In the Krkonoše Mountains, particularly in the glacial cirques, the nesting season for the rare and beautiful peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) is currently underway.

Falcon monitoring has been conducted in the Krkonoše Mountains since 1992, when a pair of falcons was confirmed to have nested there again after three decades. The return of this iconic bird of prey to the Krkonoše Mountains, as well as to much of the rest of Europe, was the result of numerous conservation efforts and recovery programs across Europe. Above all, it was the result of the ban on the use of DDT-containing insecticides, which were used from the 1940s to roughly the 1970s and had, among other things, a fatal impact on the species’ reproduction.

This year, too, zoologists from the Krkonoše Mountains are heading out into the field to their observation points, using tripods to monitor the nesting progress of the peregrine falcons at their nesting sites. On the Czech side of the Krkonoše Mountains, up to 8 pairs of this critically endangered species currently nest regularly, with another 2–3 pairs nesting on the Polish side of the mountains. The falcons arrive in the Krkonoše Mountains from their wintering grounds in January, survey their nesting sites, and prepare to nest on the rocks in glacial cirques. They begin nesting in February. They are a species highly sensitive to disturbance, and this is especially true during the nesting period—repeated disturbance can cause the parents to abandon the nest entirely, or their eggs or newly hatched chicks may be exposed to the cold. This makes it all the more important to follow the basic rules of conduct in the national park. First and foremost, this means staying only on marked paths and trails within the park’s quiet zone (which is marked on the ground, as well as on current printed maps and on Mapy.cz). This applies primarily to skiers in open terrain (ski mountaineering, freeriding) in glacial cirques or snowkiting on the Krkonoše ridges. Just as unruly athletes can disturb or even endanger the falcons, so too can the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). This is another reason why the use of drones is prohibited by law in the national park, outside of built-up and developable areas of municipalities. Any exceptions for drone flights are issued by the KRNAP Administration for selected scientific purposes, always with restrictions on the duration and time of operation.

Source: KRNAP