2016

LVM staff members help a swan who has fallen into misfortune

Spring is the time when we can indulge in bird watching and leisurely walks in the forests that are filled with sonorous voices of birds. Thanks to the experience and prompt action of the employees of JSC "Latvia's State Forests" (LVM), it was possible to help an unlucky whooper swan who had fallen into misfortune. In the darkness of night it had probably mixed up the road with a river. The swan was carefully caught and taken to the nearest water body - Lake Balvi. However, Uģis Bergmanis, LVM Senior Environmental Expert, points out that human intervention and attempts to help birds are not always the best thing to do, since it may hurt the bird.

Ainis Galvanovskis, Head of the Northern Latgale Forestry Balvi Forest District noticed a whooper swan in the middle of the forest. "I had never met a swan before. The poor guy was exhausted. Guided by the instructions of LVM Bird Expert Uģis Bergmanis on how to approach the bird and how to help it, I wrapped it gently in my jacket and took to the nearest lake. I think it was happy for such help, it did not object at all, when I held it in my lap, the bird was just looking through the window," recalls Ainis Galvanovskis.

Ziemeļu gulbis visbiežāk sastopams valsts rietumdaļā, galvenokārt ligzdo zivju dīķos. Pavasarī un rudenī vairāki desmiti tūkstoši šo gulbju migrē pāri mūsu valsts teritorijai, pa ceļam apvienojoties baros ar Latvijas ligzdojošās populācijas putniem.

“Lai paceltos spārnos, gulbim ir nepieciešama ieskriešanās vieta ūdenī, uz ceļa putns to nevarēja paveikt,” teic Uģis Bergmanis. Tāpēc tika pieņemts lēmums mēģināt putnam palīdzēt. Eksperts gan norāda, ka palīdzība putniem un pīlēm var būt divējāda – gan lietderīga, gan tāda, kas diemžēl dzīvniekiem nodara pāri. “Ja putns ir novārdzis, to var pabarot. Taču cilvēks nekādā gadījumā nedrīkst putnu vai pīli pieradināt. Tas izjauc līdzsvaru – putns vairs paša spēkiem nemeklē barību un, tuvojoties aukstajai ziemai, nedodas uz siltajām zemēm. Diemžēl aukstajā ziemas laikā viņi ir lemti iznīcībai,” ar raizēm teic eksperts.

The whooper swan is most often to be found in the western part of the country, mainly it nests in fish ponds. In spring and autumn, tens of thousands of swans migrate across the territory of Latvia; on their way they mix with  flocks of other bird population nesting in Latvia.

"To take off the ground the swan needs a place in water to accelerate; a bird cannot do it on a road," says Uģis Bergmanis. Therefore we decided to try to help the bird. The expert notes that help to birds and ducks can be both useful, and one that unfortunately harms the animals. "If a bird is exhausted, it can be fed. But a bird or duck should never be tamed. It disrupts the balance - the bird is no longer looking for food itself, and as the cold winter is approaching, no longer migrates to warmer climates. Unfortunately, in the cold winter, they are doomed to extinction," says the Expert.

Similarly like with the northern swan who was taken to a more suitable environment, people can also help if a baby bird is fallen out of its nest. It can be carefully put back in the nest, if possible.

LVM Senior Bird Expert Uģis Bergmanis at his home in Barkava municipality has established the only bird rehabilitation station in Latvia, where injured protected birds can get help to recover and return to nature.