Black stork, white chicks. A rare sight in the nest – watch online!

Observing black storks in the wild is more difficult than watching their white cousins. These birds are very secretive: they don’t build nests near human settlements but deep in the forest among old trees. Thanks to the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Łódź and the University of Łódź, it is now possible to get a closer look at black storks.

With a camera among the storks

This is the only project of its kind in Poland and one of the few in Europe. Every year, specialists from the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Łódź and the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection of the University of Łódź place cameras 17 meters high, aimed at two black stork nests. Observing this species is a rare opportunity: the population of black storks in Poland is small (approx. 1,200–1,900 pairs, and declining), and the birds avoid human contact. The livestream allows viewers to see how the storks build nests, incubate eggs, raise chicks, and prepare for migration.

The livestream can be watched on the YouTube channel of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Łódź:

Project organizers emphasize that the observation does not stress the birds. Human intervention is minimal and only occurs in life-threatening situations (e.g. when dangerous objects are found in the nest). As a result, the livestream may occasionally show scenes that some viewers may find distressing: nest fights or predator attacks.

Where do black storks migrate?

This question is of particular interest to researchers and specialists from the University of Łódź and the RDLP in Łódź. Until recently, it was believed that black storks rarely return to their birthplace. However, migration tracking has debunked this myth – in recent years, several returns to Poland have been confirmed.

As part of the Black Storks Online project, young birds are fitted each year with lightweight GPS trackers that do not interfere with their daily activities. These loggers make it possible to track the birds’ migration routes over the long term. Thanks to this, we know that they most often travel to Sudan, South Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and even Bulgaria.

The collected data also reveal the greatest threats to black storks. At the top of this unfortunate list are human actions: shooting birds (common, for example, in Lebanon) and installing power lines along migration routes.

A multi-season stork series

This is yet another year in which viewers can observe the lives of black storks online. The project began in 2016. Over the past few years, the cameras have captured, among other things, a heroic defense of a nest against a hawk, the birth and growth of four chicks, and a pair of storks separating during the egg-laying stage.

The initiative is accompanied by promotional activities. One such example is a mural of a black stork painted on a building wall in the center of Łódź. In 2020, the project also gained a mascot, a logo, themed bookmarks, and educational materials. Primary school teachers who want to conduct lessons about black storks have access to ready-made lesson plans.

The stork nest livestreams are popular on Facebook and YouTube. They are actively commented on by numerous users, and the discussions also involve Professor Piotr Zieliński, the project’s scientific consultant. As a result, social media has become a platform for learning, observation, and sharing experiences.

photo credit: Sergey Pisarevskiy/Flickr