History of the Ornithological Station

Building the Ornithological Station from the early 1930s

The construction of the first building of the Moravian Ornithological Station is closely related to the founding of the Moravian Ornithological Society (MOS) in Přerov in 1932 by local citizens.

On May 18, 1937, at an extraordinary general meeting of the society, the officials of the Central Action Committee of Czechoslovak Ornithologists proposed the establishment of a Research Ornithological Station in Přerov. The construction of the station began on June 10, 1937.

The site chosen for the construction was a corner of Michalov Park, near a floodplain forest and a dead arm of the Bečva River. The construction of the station was made possible thanks to subsidies from the district governor, the city council, the municipal savings bank, the deanery of Přerov, the beautification society, the municipal school council, and others. The city donated the land, and the dean of the Olomouc archbishopric donated the wood for the construction. Part of the funds was raised through larger donations from society members and a collection among the citizens of Přerov. Later, the municipal savings bank provided a favorable loan.

Financially, the entire construction was secured by a promissory note on the private property of three MOS board members: F. Gintar, Z. Šulc, and JUDr. J. Lančík. The construction was completed in less than a year. On November 20, 1944, the station was bombed during an air raid by American planes on Přerov. Fragmentation bombs severely damaged the building and the station's roof. However, thanks to monetary donations from board members and the willingness of society's friends, repairs could begin almost immediately. By May 1, 1945, all major repairs to the building, including the outdoor aviaries, were completed.

A successful exhibition titled "Protecting Nature to Protect Man" in 1956 convinced the Municipal National Committee (MěNV) in Přerov to release 20,000 crowns for the construction of new aviaries. The station was reopened to the public at that time.

In January 1961, the final decision was made to affiliate MOS with the Regional Museum in Přerov, and the ornithological station became part of the museum's natural science department. In May 1962, by a decision of the Přerov MěNV council, the Moravian Ornithological Station was established as an independent educational organization, along with a zoo corner.

On April 12, 1972, the ornithological station was ceremoniously reopened. In 1975, an exhibition hall was added, and the reconstruction of the entire building was approved.

Construction work began in 1979 and was completed by the end of 1981. During this period, the ceilings in the old building were replaced, and the originally single-story building was raised by one floor. A new lecture hall for 50 listeners, four offices, a parasitological laboratory, a preparation workshop, and a documentation center were built.

On July 7, 1997, the Moravian Ornithological Station was hit by the Bečva River flood and submerged up to a height of 1.86 meters. The water stood there for three days and receded only on July 10, 1997. This natural disaster caused damage to the station amounting to nearly 6 million CZK. The building's repair was very demanding and complex. Complete renovation of the building was finished in the autumn of 1998.

A major reconstruction of the building began on October 26, 2020, when the construction site was handed over to the contractor, PTÁČEK – pozemní stavby s.r.o. from Kojetín, chosen by the investor and our founder, the Olomouc Region, based on a tender. During the reconstruction, a completely new part of the building was added, including a modern repository on the first floor, hygienic facilities, and a multifunctional lecture hall for visitors on the ground floor. In the second phase, the old building was renovated, becoming a modern facility for both the museum and its visitors, as well as for its employees. The building is also equipped with solar panels. The reconstruction was completed in November 2023, and on December 2, 2023, the Ornithological Station was reopened to the public. The new exhibition "Birds of the Czech Republic" presents 365 bird species found in the Czech Republic as they can be observed in nature. If there are individuals of the same species that differ in coloration throughout the year, or if there are differences in size and coloration between genders and juvenile birds, we strive to exhibit all these variants. A total of 593 exhibits are on display, with eggs also shown for 248 species.

We look forward to your visit.

The ORNIS Staff