On their way back to Africa, migrating white storks observed in İstanbul

Photo: Nadire Mater / bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish

Migrated to Turkey and Balkans in spring, white storks have started their return journey.

Hundreds of thousands of white storks are observed every year in Turkey, which the birds use to avoid a long sea crossing over the Mediterranean, according to Wikipedia.

Video: Serhan Tuğlular

As white storks rely on the uplift of air thermals to soar and glide the long distances of their annual migrations between Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, they detour over land as air thermals do not form over water, the article explains.

Entering from Levant to Anatolia through Hatay as the temperatures begin to rise in the spring, they use İstanbul and Çanakkale straits on the return journey, according to the Doğa Association, a partner of Birdlife International in Turkey. 

Migration route of white storks (Wikipedia map):

(EKN/VK)