Do you live near a stork nest? Do you pass a nest every day by car? Do you wait at the same bus stop each day and see a nest nearby? When you go to pick up your children from school or kindergarten, do you pass a nest? And these are just a few examples. Whenever you see a nest, share your observation with us! By doing so, you become a Stork Guardian and, without even realising it, help protect these wonderful birds.

Being a Stork Guardian means regularly monitoring the nest or nests you choose and recording the most important events, from the storks’ arrival to their migration at the end of summer. The most essential information is the arrival date and the number of chicks that fledge, but any other observations about the nest’s life are welcome, such as:

• pair formation,
• egg-laying and the start of incubation,
• hatching and the fledglings’ first flights,
• the death of adult storks or chicks,
• nest damage, etc.

The information you collect helps us better understand the stork population, its changes, and the birds’ behaviour. Based on this data, we can take more effective measures to protect them.

We launched the Stork Guardian Programme in 2025, and in its first year, the guardians monitored 124 nests. We learned a great deal from the monitored nests, including when the first stork arrived, how many chicks hatched, and many other interesting facts. You can find the results from the first year here.

For more details about the monitoring programme and the methodology used, follow this link.