More and more storks in the sky of Belgium which go towards the… Spanish discharges

Soon 100 nesting couples in Wallonia – More more storks sky belgium

Belgium is on the Western migratory axis. For example, while the eastern axis, borrowed by birds from Poland or the Baltic countries in particular, passes through Greece and Turkey.

“As the population of white storks is expanding in Europe. Consequently, we see more and more that fly over our territories during a migration period,” explains Arnaud Laudelout, biologist and ornithologist at Natagora. Consequently, While there were 112,000 couples in Europe in the 1980s, there would be around 250,000 today. Meanwhile, Wallonia, where there were no nesting couple 30 years ago, now shelters almost 100. Therefore, They are more numerous in Flanders, including around 200 nesting couples in Zwin.

If some “Walloon” storks come from reintroductions carried out in animal parks. Therefore, the majority come from abroad but find more more storks sky belgium the region to their liking. Additionally, Therefore, “On the side of the white water valley, between Chimay and Couvin, we have birds in France. However, And on the side of Virelles. For example, we have a stork equipped with a beacon which allowed us to see that it comes from Germany”, illustrates Arnaud Laudelout.

With rare exceptions-those born here and having lost the migratory instinct-these storks leave for their winter quarters in mid-August.

Moving moment at the Han Caves Domaine: 6 young storks took their flight to freedom (photos)

Spanish. discharges rather than Africa

But climate change sometimes changes their destination. In the more more storks sky belgium past. the majority spent winter between Mauritania and Niger; Today, many stop in Spain or Morocco, where the softer winters and shorter journeys allow them to save energy. These regions also prevent them from the conditions that have become more difficult in the Sahel. notably marked by longer droughts and higher temperatures.

But this evolution towards a “shortened migration” is also due to the presence of large open-air discharges still numerous in Morocco. in the Iberian peninsula, which are real pantry for storks. “Thanks to his tag. we could for example see that one of the Virelles storks passes her winters on two discharges on the side of Madrid,” says Arnaud Laudelout.

These resources could however disappear: the European Commission has initiated an offense against Spain for the management of its discharges. aimed at better treating waste or closing certain sites. Good news for the environment, more more storks sky belgium but not for storks. If these dumps disappear overnight. tens of thousands of storks are likely to no longer find food during the winter, already alerted in 2023 Didier Vangeluwe, ornithologist at the Royal Natural Sciences Institute in Belgium and specialist in Zwin storks.

Black stork. the umbrella species near Bièvre wind turbines

Upset in migratory birds

Other migratory birds make increasingly frequent passages in Belgium thanks to climate change. We can thus give as an example the European waspier. a southern species in summer, but which is now reproduced in Belgian Lorraine.

The Tarier Pâtre also extends its summer zone to the more more storks sky belgium north, including here. The ash crane, by reducing its migratory trajectories as the stork does, is also more observed. Rarer (it was observed in 2020 in the Stavelot region), the fawn vulture also makes incursions on our territory. A presence that could be linked to heat peaks that creates favorable thermal currents.

Conversely, other migratory species are less present in our latitudes because of climate change. You can cite the Farlouze Pipit or the Pouillot Fitis.