{"id":50159,"date":"2025-12-28T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/?p=50159"},"modified":"2025-12-28T11:41:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T09:41:53","slug":"results-of-the-2024-2025-international-white-stork-census","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/en\/results-of-the-2024-2025-international-white-stork-census\/","title":{"rendered":"Results of the 2024\u20132025 International White Stork Census"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once every ten years, white storks across Europe are surveyed as part of an international census coordinated by <strong>German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>(NABU)<\/strong> and carried out in Romania by the <\/span><strong>Romanian Ornithological Society (<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>SOR)<\/strong> and the <strong>Milvus Group<\/strong>. The eighth such census began in 2024 and was completed in 2025.<\/span><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-scaled.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-50145\" srcset=\"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_9214-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photo: Attila Nagy<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>The results tell a fascinating story about biodiversity, community, and the places where nature still feels \u201cat home\u201d.&#13;\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The numbers that matter<\/h2><p>Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who travelled through towns and villages across Romania, we now have a clearer picture of the white stork population:&#13;\n<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>7,821 nests were recorded in the databases of the two organisations.<\/li>\n\n<li>83% of these (6,509) were occupied by stork families.<\/li>\n\n<li>12,588 chicks were observed in these nests (an average of 1.93 chicks per nest).<\/li>\n\n<li>Maximum number of chicks in a single nest: 6.<\/li>\n\n<li>The 1,312 nests that were unoccupied during these two years but recorded by our dedicated volunteers were extremely important for estimating the national population of the species.&#13;\n<\/li>\n\n<li>While the previous census (2014\u20132015) recorded 4,374 nests, the efforts of the past two years revealed a much higher number, offering a more accurate picture of the situation on the ground.&#13;\n<\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The breeding population in Romania, estimated on the basis of data collected during the 2024\u20132025 Census as well as occasional records gathered in recent years using the Uite Barza! and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/openbirdmaps.ro\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> OpenBirdMaps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mobile applications, is estimated at between 9,752 and 12,638 pairs.<\/span><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-scaled.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-50148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/milvus.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/feher-golya5-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photo: M\u00e1ty\u00e1s Fej\u00e9r-Kir\u00e1ly<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p>If white storks had a favourite county, it would undoubtedly be Harghita. With a record-breaking 843 nests and nearly 1,800 chicks, Harghita tops the ranking. The village of Joseni is the absolute champion, hosting 126 nests.&#13;\n<\/p><p>The census brought not only figures, but also interesting discoveries:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Altitude record \u2013 1,115 metres: in the commune of Beli\u0219 (Cluj County), a stork family chose to raise its chicks \u201cat altitude\u201d.<\/li>\n\n<li>Hidden treasures: in Dolj County, volunteer R\u0103zvan Andrei discovered a rarity \u2013 25 nests built directly in trees along the banks of the Jiu River.<\/li>\n\n<li>Geographical humour: did you know that in the commune of B\u00e2rza (Olt County) there is officially just one\u2026 stork nest?<\/li><\/ul><p>Although volunteers surveyed white storks in almost 40% of the country\u2019s localities, there are still places where hidden treasures may await discovery, particularly in Gala\u021bi, Mehedin\u021bi, V\u00e2lcea, Buz\u0103u and Maramure\u0219 counties.&#13;\n<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The stories behind the numbers<\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond the data entered into the <em>UiteBarza!<\/em> and <em>OpenBirdMaps<\/em> applications, this project is also about the volunteers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Luca<\/strong>, the youngest census taker, travelled the roads of Ilfov alongside his parents. What began as a logistical challenge soon turned into pure enthusiasm when local residents \u2013 some over 70 years old \u2013 waited for him at their gates, proudly showing him \u201ctheir storks\u201d.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For <strong>Dora<\/strong>, the census provided an opportunity to return to \u021aara C\u0103latei (Cluj County). Among nests and picturesque landscapes, she rediscovered the village of her summer holidays, offering her own child a lesson about time, nature and patience.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cAll it takes is a bit of time and planning \u2013 and the results and satisfaction will soon follow,\u201d<\/em> says <strong>Raluca<\/strong>, one of the most dedicated volunteers, who together with <strong>Cristian<\/strong> recorded over 1,500 nests in just the first year of the census.<\/span><\/p><p>Corina walked through the commune of M\u0103n\u0103stirea Humorului, covering 25 kilometres on foot in a single day in search of stork nests. Upon reaching a hilltop, she was rewarded with breathtaking views and the sight of a pair of common buzzards performing their nuptial flight.&#13;\n<\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>\u201cThank you for the honour of being part of your team searching for stork nests. I had a wonderful time; it felt like a holiday for me and my husband,\u201d<\/em> says <strong>Ramona<\/strong>, a volunteer from Dolj County.<\/span><\/p><p>These data do not remain only in our databases. They help us identify areas where storks need additional protection and better understand how habitat changes affect them. The final results at European level will be compiled and published by NABU.<\/p><p><strong>We thank the more than 400 volunteers who dedicated their time to protecting this bird!<\/strong><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Once every ten years, white storks across Europe are surveyed as part of an international census coordinated by German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and carried out in Romania by the Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR) and the Milvus Group. The eighth such census began in 2024 and was completed in 2025.The results tell a 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