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4.5. White stork<br />

Ciconia ciconia<br />

Summary<br />

Background<br />

Figure 1.<br />

Estimated number of<br />

White Stork breed<strong>in</strong>g<br />

pairs <strong>in</strong> Europe, <strong>in</strong><br />

the eastern and<br />

western populations,<br />

accord<strong>in</strong>g to<br />

International White<br />

Stork Censuses (dots),<br />

and trend <strong>in</strong> the<br />

PECBMS population<br />

<strong>in</strong>dex s<strong>in</strong>ce 1980 [19] .<br />

No. of breed<strong>in</strong>g pairs <strong>in</strong> Europe<br />

250,000<br />

200,000<br />

150,000<br />

100,000<br />

50,000<br />

0<br />

1934<br />

The White stork decl<strong>in</strong>ed until the mid-1980s due<br />

to poor feed<strong>in</strong>g conditions, caused by adverse<br />

climatic conditions <strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g areas <strong>in</strong> Africa<br />

and chang<strong>in</strong>g agricultural practices <strong>in</strong> Europe.<br />

The species has s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>in</strong>creased <strong>in</strong> abundance and<br />

expanded its range. Improved food availability <strong>in</strong><br />

both breed<strong>in</strong>g and w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g areas has contributed<br />

to this ongo<strong>in</strong>g recovery, while re<strong>in</strong>troduction<br />

projects have enabled recolonisation of breed<strong>in</strong>g<br />

areas. Changes <strong>in</strong> migration and feed<strong>in</strong>g strategies<br />

are driv<strong>in</strong>g the large <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> White storks <strong>in</strong><br />

southwestern Europe. Population changes <strong>in</strong> eastern<br />

Europe are less well understood and may be more<br />

dependent on conditions <strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g areas.<br />

500<br />

1958<br />

1974<br />

1984<br />

1995<br />

2005<br />

2010<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

Population <strong>in</strong>dex (%)<br />

General description of the species<br />

The White stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large charismatic<br />

species with close associations to human<br />

culture, and is a flagship species for conservation<br />

<strong>in</strong> Europe [1] . It is a seasonal migrant to Europe,<br />

arriv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> early spr<strong>in</strong>g, nest<strong>in</strong>g from March to<br />

June [2] , and depart<strong>in</strong>g for Africa <strong>in</strong> August, although<br />

some south-western breeders now w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>in</strong> Iberia.<br />

White storks feed on a variety of prey <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>in</strong>sects, amphibians, snakes, lizards, small birds,<br />

molluscs, crustaceans and small mammals [3] .<br />

Distribution <strong>in</strong> Europe<br />

The species is widely distributed, occurr<strong>in</strong>g<br />

throughout cont<strong>in</strong>ental Europe, with the majority<br />

of the breed<strong>in</strong>g population concentrated <strong>in</strong> eastern<br />

Europe [4] . The present distribution of the species<br />

reflects recolonisations and re<strong>in</strong>troductions <strong>in</strong><br />

countries where it became ext<strong>in</strong>ct <strong>in</strong> the past, as<br />

well as ongo<strong>in</strong>g eastward expansion <strong>in</strong> eastern<br />

Europe [5, 6] .<br />

Most authorities recognise two populations [7, 8] .<br />

Most birds from eastern Europe (eastern population)<br />

migrate to Africa via the Bosphorus and w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>in</strong><br />

the eastern half of Africa, as far south as the Western<br />

Cape <strong>in</strong> South Africa. Birds from western and southwestern<br />

Europe (western population), enter Africa<br />

across the Straits of Gibraltar and w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>in</strong> the<br />

northern tropics of West Africa [2, 5] .<br />

180

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