How do storks migrate? Polish scientists have created a groundbreaking monitoring system

We speak of a bird’s-eye view, but what does that really mean? Researchers from the Poznań University of Life Sciences have just revealed part of the mystery by equipping native storks with cameras. The images collected during winter migrations turned out to be a true ornithological breakthrough.

A backpack with a camera and off they go

Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski from the Department of Zoology at the Poznań University of Life Sciences admits in an interview with TVN24 that we already know a great deal about the breeding and habits of the white stork in Poland. However, this extensive knowledge continues to raise new questions. Where exactly do storks fly for the winter? What does their journey look like? What obstacles do they encounter along the way? What are their wintering grounds like?

The project launched in 2025, aimed at monitoring storks, is intended to provide answers that will help improve species protection. Scientists from the Poznań University of Life Sciences were the first in the world to equip storks with special backpacks containing not only satellite transmitters but also cameras recording images and sounds. The entire set, weighing less than 50 g, was mounted on the backs of 10 young individuals to track not just a single journey, but the entire story of their maturation.

Storks in an aerial reality show

We are moving from tracking points on a map to a real image of the environment in which the birds function. This is a qualitative change in migration research, said Prof. Łukasz Jankowiak from the University of Szczecin, who is involved in the project, in a statement to PAP.

The images obtained from the cameras turned out to be extremely valuable research material, providing information that cannot be obtained from GPS signal tracking alone. Thanks to them, scientists were able to estimate the size of migratory flocks, sometimes numbering several hundred individuals, observe feeding grounds, and examine interactions between travel companions. They also learned a great deal about dangers along the route, from unsecured power lines in Romania and Bulgaria to the lack of water and food over the Egyptian desert.

Interestingly, observations indicate that migrations are becoming shorter, most storks now reach only Chad and Sudan instead of South Africa. Unlike their stay in Poland, which is very territorially limited, wintering individuals often change location, covering thousands of kilometers in search of food.

Scientists also managed to debunk the myth that parents show their offspring the routes to Africa. In reality, young birds depart for winter about a week earlier and do not even travel together with their siblings. Genetic and social information, derived from observing other members of the species, appear to dominate in white stork migrations.

Protecting migration routes is essential

Out of the 10 monitored birds, only 2 returned to Poland. The team from the Poznań University of Life Sciences is currently working on recovering transmitters from the bodies of dead storks in order to reuse them in the next season. The entire project has already provided fantastic research material, and scientists are optimistic about its potential.

Prof. Tryjanowski believes that the findings can be extended to the entire population of migratory birds. In his view, millions spent on protecting breeding sites will not bring the desired results if they are not accompanied by the protection of migration corridors. This is why external partners are involved in the initiative, including companies from the energy sector, which poses a particular threat to birds.

It is worth noting that the protection of migratory animal species was the main topic of the COP15 biodiversity summit, which took place at the end of March in Brazil. Thanks to the commitment of participants, it was possible to establish protection status for 40 new species and initiate the creation of safe migration corridors for birds over the Americas.

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main photo: Мария Воскресенская/Pexels