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The starlings return to Switzerland as early as February. (archive picture)
Keystone
The first migratory birds are back. In February, the starlings are the first birds to return to their breeding grounds in Switzerland after spending the winter in the south.
Last weekend, the bird migration radar of the Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach in the canton of Lucerne registered a significant increase in flight movements. The radar device on the roof of the ornithological station records the movements of birds migrating over the station around the clock.
In addition, flocks of starlings with several dozen birds have been spotted at several locations in Switzerland, as data on the ornithology information portal "ornitho.ch" shows.
The various migratory birds follow a clear timetable for their return. This early in the year, it is mainly birds that have wintered in the Mediterranean that are on their way back. According to the ornithological station, starlings and wagtails herald the arrival of early spring, while swifts and nightingales only return in the last few days of April.
17.02.2025, 09:01
