White stork conservation

The white stork, Ciconia ciconia, is a popular bird around Europe and the species was for a long time something of a symbol of the southern Swedish agricultural landscape.  After a sharp decline in population in the early 20th century, the white stork died out in Sweden in the 1950s. 

The extinction was a result of extensive excavations of wetlands made during the 19th and early 20th century to create arable land. In Skåne, 90% of the wetlands that existed at the beginning of the 19th century have been drained out and since this is where the stork found its food, it quickly died out.  

The loss of wetlands across Europe is the main cause of the decline of the species throughout Western Europe.  A new major threat to the species in the wild is high-voltage lines as these are the most common cause of death both at breeding sites and along the migration routes.

What we do at Nordens Ark

Nordens Ark has been collaborating with the Swedish Stork Project for several years to build up a wild stork population in Sweden. Nordens Ark holds about 12–15 pairs of storks in the wildlife park's wetland area. All the chicks hatched at Nordens Ark are sent down to Scania every summer to be released into the wild together with hundreds of other storks.

Before the storks are released, they are ringed, which is a prerequisite for being able to identify each individual at a later time. A number of storks have also been fitted with GPS transmitters. Thanks to these transmitters, we can follow the migration routes of the storks and thereby gain more knowledge of where and how they migrate. Nordens Ark also participates in the annual inventory of nesting storks in the wild, where all wild yearlings are counted and ringed.

 

News from the project – January 2026

The 2025 releases were the largest in many years. A total of 81 juvenile white storks were released at the main stork release event, of which 16 were hatched and reared at Nordens Ark. Additional juvenile storks were also released later in the season, as these individuals hatched later than the others.

The stork release is organised by the Swedish White Stork Project. During the release, the young storks are released together in a group to give as many birds as possible the chance to undertake their first autumn migration together. When released alone or in small groups, there is a greater risk that the juveniles will not begin the long journey south and instead remain behind over the winter. As early as August, the storks begin their impressive migration towards Africa. Once they reach sexual maturity, they return to breed, and many of them find their way back to Sweden and Skåne.

In collaboration with
The Swedish Stork Project