As soon as the snow melts and the warm rays of the spring sun touch the Ukrainian fields, the familiar silhouettes of — storks return in the sky. These majestic birds travel thousands of kilometers from Africa to Ukraine every year to nest here again. But why do they choose Ukraine? How is it better than warm Africa, where storks spend the winter?
The main reason is — food
Spring and summer in Ukraine — is a real explosion of life. At this time, frogs, mice, earthworms, insects and other small animals become active, with which storks feed their voracious chicks. One nest can consume up to four kilograms of food every day! Such a rich food resource is simply necessary to grow healthy and viable offspring. In Africa, where storks winter, heat and drought occur in the summer, water disappears and the amount of available food decreases —, especially for chicks.
Long days — more time to feed
In summer, days in Ukraine are much longer than in tropical regions. This means that storks have more hours to find food and feed their little ones. Even one extra hour of daylight significantly increases the chances of the chicks surviving and strengthening. In Africa, especially in equatorial latitudes, the day is shorter than — and this time is not enough for full care of the offspring.
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Favorable climate and moisture
In addition to food, Ukraine provides another key condition — sufficient water. Unlike arid Africa, our climate has many wet meadows, river valleys, wetlands, which become an ideal environment for hunting and nesting. Here, storks have everything necessary for safe and effective raising of children.
Instinct and evolution
Over the millennia, storks have adapted to this cycle: wintering in Africa, breeding in the north. Those populations that nested in Ukraine, Poland or Germany turned out to be more successful —, their offspring survived better, and over time this model was established evolutionarily. Today, most storks instinctively return to the places where they were born.
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Where else do storks fly?
Although Ukraine — is one of the most important countries for storks, it is not the only one. Every year, these birds also return to Poland (where there are more than 25 thousand pairs), Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany (where more than 7 thousand pairs nest every year). In Western Europe, many storks nest in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. Some populations reach as far as Great Britain, as well as Central Asian countries, although they are rarer there.
Where do they fly for the winter?
In winter, storks migrate to Africa. Western populations go through Gibraltar to West Africa (Mali, Nigeria), and eastern — through Turkey, Sinai and the Nile Valley to East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda). In Morocco, near the Atlas Mountains and the coast, a significant number of storks winter. Some of them remain there settled — especially near cities where there are landfills or farms with easy access to food.
However, recently climate change has also affected storks. Some stay to winter in Spain or even in the south of Europe, where there are dumps or other food sources. At the same time, this causes fears, because storks can feed on waste that is dangerous for them.
