Adventure Stork: Sky on the journey to the winter quarters in Bulgaria!

Adventure Stork: Sky on the journey to the winter quarters in Bulgaria!

The storks' journey to their winter quarters has begun, and not without the support of our two experts Helmut Eggers and Gerd Dahms. These two stork professionals from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony accompany the majestic birds on their first steps towards Bulgaria. Equipped with state-of-the-art tracking devices developed by the German company e-obs, these companions regularly provide GPS data that makes it possible to track the storks' route and behavior in detail. Loud NDR The goal is to reach up to 20,000 storks on the Black Sea, who gather there for the winter months.

On their journey, the birds not only collected impressions of the landscape, but also developed strategies to find their food. Garbage dumps often provide a welcome source of food for storks. On August 22, 2025, when the Sückau stork, known as 2V271, spent the night near Bucharest, it had already traveled 130 kilometers to its destination in Burgas. In the meantime, the stork SKY from Neu Bleckede flew on from its breeding nest in Germany to Dresden and then to Slovakia NDR reported.

The technology behind the observation

The satellite transmitters used, which weigh only 57 grams and are made of weatherproof plastic, are a real advance in bird watching. They allow you to record longitude, latitude and altitude and even offer the option of updating the GPS data every 30 seconds. Equipped with a solar module, these transmitters can theoretically be operated for the stork's entire life. If the network is poor, the transmitter will even send an SMS with the last five GPS positions, explains the website LBV.

The data collected by the transmitters also helps to identify important feeding areas and threats, for example from wind turbines. The telemetry data provides valuable insights into the different habitats that storks use during their migration, as well as into the interactions between humans and animals.

Research and nature conservation

With the help of modern technologies such as satellite telemetry and remote sensing, we are also investigating which habitat is particularly important for the storks. As a study shows, there are many dangers associated with habitat destruction and climate change. Numerous important rest areas have been identified over the years. These range from Chad and Sudan to Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Botswana, according to a report by University of Bonn can be read.

All of these findings are important not only for scientists, but also for active nature conservation. The research aims to support international agreements and improve protection measures for migratory species. When it comes to protecting the white stork, it is clear: the future of these majestic birds depends not only on their retreat to their winter quarters, but also on our joint efforts to preserve their habitat.