White Storks with coloured ELSA ring

Members of the Milvus Group are ringing White Storks fledglings with coloured ELSA rings (http://www.orn.mpg.de/~vwrado/templates/en/elsa.html) since 2002, the ringing is coordinated by Ferenc Kósa (fkosa@ciconia.ro). Most of the ringing has been done in two areas: – in Mures county (in Dumbravioara, Glodeni, Ernei, Icland and Sângeorgiu de Mures villages) and in Satu Mare county (Ciumesti, Urziceni, Foieni, Andrid, Dindesti, Irina, Sanislau villages). Since the young Storks only come back to breed when 3-4 years old, we expected the first sightings of ringed Storks from 2005. Finally, now in 2006 we had the first breakthrough: – one Stork ringed with number 70105 was sighted on the 21.04.2006 in Dumbravioara in nest number 10 (not occupied last year), situated near the building which will host the Stork Museum. It was ringed in Ernei, as nestling in 27.06.2002, together with other 2 chicks. From our observations we can say that the bird with the ring is a male. The distance between the fledgling place and the breeding place is almost exactly 3 km, the elapsed time is 3 years 9 months and 24 days. We hope that other ringed Storks will come back and we will be able to give you more good news soon.