To mark the start of our new research project “Wings of Change: Unravelling the ontogeny of bird migratory behaviour in a changing world” we have a new logo for our Stork Research Group!
The logo was beautifully designed by the talented Renata Reynaud.
Here we go again! 😍
Our team is back on the field to monitor our #WhiteStork colonies! Despite the heavy rains in Portugal, our storks have been busy re-building the nests and some already have near full clutches!
#ornithology 🌍🧪
You still have a bit more than a week to submit your expression of interest!
#PhD #birdmigration #Ornithology #Ecology 🌍🌱
📢📢PhD opportunity!
We are looking for enthusiastic researchers to develop a project looking at the ontogeny of migratory behaviour!
Deadline for expression of interest: 8 February 2026
👉Check details here: drive.google.com/file/d/1wow2...
#migration #ornithology #GPStracking
In our new paper led by Ursula Heize, we show that >90% of #WhiteStork nests have anthropogenic materials (plastics, paper, etc). Ropes are particularly dangerous: ~12% of the chicks became entangled on ropes, particularly on baler twine!
Check out the paper: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Our baby #WhiteStorks are growing fast! We use a telecopic pole with a camera to monitor the storks' nest and assess breeding success!
#ornithology
The breeding season is moving along nicely, and most #WhiteStork eggs have already hatched!
Here is 5Y+, a 9-year-old male ringed as a chick in 2016, with his three hatchlings and two remaining eggs.
#Ornithology
Storks are amazing birds. Tracking them for many years enabled us to find some cool stuff!
Every year, fewer #WhiteStorks cross the Straits of Gibraltar on their annual migratory journey. In this paper, we unveil the mechanisms driving the recent and rapid loss of their migratory behaviour.
👉https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1365-2656.70035
On the 27th of March, we welcomed our first #WhiteStork hatchlings! And one was still struggling to get out of the egg when we arrived!
It's pouring rain - we can't recall ever seeing this much water around our #WhiteStork nests! But they remain strong, and many clutches are now complete. Let's hope they can protect their eggs as more storms sweep across Portugal 🤞!
The white-stork 2025 field season just started! Some nests already with eggs despite the heavy rains and cold weather across Portugal. Looking forward to another breeding season!
