Hilpoltstein (dpa / lby) - The white storks return to Bavaria after the winter months. As reported by the State Association for Bird and Nature Conservation (LBV), around 50 returnees have already been sighted in the Free State. However, a comparison with previous years is hardly possible. The available data are not sufficient for this.
Basically, the current weather conditions always play a role. For example, the LBV was able to observe a stork equipped with a transmitter, which meanwhile flew back a bit to the south on its return flight, probably due to the weather.
In general, however, a changed migration behavior can be observed in the white storks. Until the 1980s, most animals still flew to West and East Africa. A large part of the western European white stork population now overwinters in Spain. The birds, which have spent the winter in Africa, are not expected in Central Europe until April. Around 300 animals spent the entire winter in Bavaria. The storks are regarded worldwide as messengers of good luck and, according to German popular belief, are said to deliver babies.
