Storks - the Symbol of Poland

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Edited by: Anja Nov 29, 06, 17:41 #1

Every fourth stork in the world comes from Poland. There is no other country which can boast nesting of so many birds of this species. It is estimated that recently there have been around 40 900 pairs of storks nesting on the Polish territory. However, their habitat is not evenly distributed due to various factors such as human activity: development of agriculture and industry, destroying wetlands; existence of forest complexes and unpolluted environment. The biggest density of stork nests is observed in the North- Eastern and Eastern part of Poland. The average density for Poland is 13,1 of pairs per 100 square kilometers.

Storks rebuild their nests each year. The key role is played by the male, which brings all building material, and female is arranging it properly. The basis of construction material consists of sticks and branches and inner part of a nest is lined with earth, hay, bits of paper, rugs and sometimes nylon ropes which can present a significant threat to nestlings. The nest, seen from above, has an oval or elliptic shape with up to 200 cm in diameter and is constructed above the ground, on poles, very often in close proximity of human settlements: on the tops of barns and houses.

Storks begin to lay eggs in the second part of April. The female broods the eggs for 33-34 days. The first nestlings hatch around the 20th of May and they usually leave a nest at the end of July. Storks are carnivores, they eat small invertebrates and tiny mammals as well. They also hunt for rodents, moles, nestling of other bird species, fish and other amphibians. The structure of food depends mainly on spatial and periodical diversity of a specific food type.

Storks leave Poland at the end of August. Before they set off for Africa, they gather at so called gaggles, that is huge flocks consisting of tens and hundreds of birds, which prey and rest together. The spectacular gaggles bring attention of observers because they announce the end of summer.

Storks have been present in the Polish folk culture for centuries. There are a lot of superstitions and beliefs which are strictly connected with the birds and the role they play in our lives. Among the most common ones there is of course the superstition about storks bringing babies. Constructing of stork nest in a particular household is believed to bring its owner good luck and prosperity. It is also believed to protect a house from thunder strikes. Storks are also appreciated for their role as beneficial animals: they feed on species considered to be pests, such as rodents. There is also a belief the stork couples stick together all their lives as well as very often people would say that the same couple visits them every year. The latter is possible to verify only provided the birds have been marked with rings. The birds tend to divide the nests into better or worse situated rather than into our and strange. In case storks came back to their own nest every year, no frequent fights would occur. People also think that frogs constitute main food of the birds. Stork is a carnivore and thus it preys practically for every animal it is able to swallow.

Storks, being constantly present in Polish landscape, remain its vivid symbol and have found their place in our folktales, proverbial sayings, superstitions thus entering Polish culture as its inseparable symbol.

Anja

Polish Storks:

krysiaThreads: 26 Posts: 3,604 Joined: Aug 10, 06 ♀	Nov 29, 06, 18:09 #2
And I'm still waiting for my baby....

miranda	Nov 29, 06, 18:52 #3
are those stork Polish or African, since they spend winter in north africa?Double citizenship perhaps?

mlody	Nov 29, 06, 19:11 #4
As far as I know storks are of Polish nationality, but go on vacation to Africa every year ).

bartosz	Dec 14, 06, 15:30 #5
Daaaa, they are born in Poland, so they are Polish.

miranda	Dec 14, 06, 15:36 #6
Quoting: bartosz, Post #5 Daaaa, they are born in Poland, so they are Polish. anywhere else they would be, but on this forum.......

rafikThreads: 21 Posts: 740 Joined: Jun 22, 06 ♂	Edited by: rafik Dec 14, 06, 15:46 #7
Quoting: Anja, Post #1 Polish Storks: i was the one of a few thousands enthusiasts who counted our storks in 1995.i had a fantastic few weeks going from one place to another and counting each nest,number of youngs in my county. i miss them here in the uk

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Dec 14, 06, 15:56 #8
I don't know what happened. For some reason the storks didn't appear. We usually have two or three nesting pairs in our village, but I never saw any sign of them this summer.

miranda	Dec 14, 06, 16:26 #9
And I though that you lived in Wroclaw.

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Dec 14, 06, 16:35 #10
We also have a house in the country. About 45km from here.

miranda	Dec 14, 06, 16:37 #11
Quoting: Wroclaw, Post #10 We also have a house in the country. must be nice. I can see the stork now. My sister has a house in a small town and she got a couple 2 years ago. Didn't show up this year

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Dec 14, 06, 16:40 #12
I think a lot of them must have died for some reason.

miranda	Dec 14, 06, 16:42 #13
Quoting: Wroclaw, Post #12 I think a lot of them must have died for some reason. I guess flying to Africa and back is not easy and some of them may never make. It's sooo sad.

rafikThreads: 21 Posts: 740 Joined: Jun 22, 06 ♂	Dec 14, 06, 16:48 #14
Quoting: Wroclaw, Post #12 think a lot of them must have died for some reason. a lot of them die on the way to and from africa.storks are killed in libia for example but the main danger for this beautiful birds is using pesticides in poor african countries includind DDT-a very dangerous for environment pesticide widely used and later withdrawed in 1960's.

tomcio23	Mar 27, 07, 02:42 #15
sure, but africa isn't a country.

tomcio23	Mar 27, 07, 02:42 #16
that was refering to miranda's post "are those stork Polish or African, since they spend winter in north africa?Double citizenship perhaps?"

stork_fan	Apr 23, 10, 18:22 #17
you can see the nest of a stork on line at miedzyrzecze.org.pl/bociany/widok2. html

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 18:28 #18
Cool. It just stood up and you can see two eggs.

pgtxThreads: 49 Posts: 6,327 Joined: Feb 14, 09 MEMBER ♀	Apr 23, 10, 18:31 #19
stork_fan: miedzyrzecze.org.pl/bociany/widok2. html awesome :) thanks for that... ShawnH: It just stood up and you can see two eggs. hehehehehe...

WroclawThreads: 77 Posts: 7,404 Joined: Apr 1, 06 ♂ [Moderator]	Apr 23, 10, 18:34 #20
Very clear picture. It might not look so pretty when the young are fed frogs and mice etc. http://www.miedzyrzecze.org.pl/bociany/widok2.html

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Apr 23, 10, 18:40 #21
Wroclaw: It might not look so pretty when the young are fed frogs and mice etc. That might be the best part. Who know's maybe Sam Peckinpah is directing this film!

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Apr 24, 10, 14:51 #22
Another egg has appeared!

♂

Apr 24, 10, 20:49 #23

Interesting thread Anja....I have Storks pretty close to my farm...it was great to learn a bit more about them....

The first time i heard a stork making that funny clucking noise , i was racking my brains for where i had heard the noise before...???

Eventually it came to me.....Anyone remember the old film , the day of the triffids....have a listen to the noise the triffids make , i am dam sure they recorded a stork , and slowed it down a bit... anyone know if thats true....?

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jun 16, 10, 03:26 #24
ShawnH: Another egg has appeared! Sad to say, all the eggs have gone.

wildroverThreads: 180 Posts: 8,188 Joined: Jun 7, 07 ♂	Jun 16, 10, 03:28 #25
ShawnH: Sad to say, all the eggs have gone. Do you mean hatched out...eaten , stolen or what....?

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Edited by: ShawnH Jun 17, 10, 03:07 #26

No, I think what happened is the male came to the nest a week or so after the female had cleared customs at WAW. When he came in and found 3 eggs in the nest, he went ape and tossed them out of the nest, not being his off-spring. Another egg came along, and pops was sure it wasn't his either, so it went over the edge of the nest as well. Three more eggs showed up and they incubated all the time, but I think they got the feeling they weren't going to hatch, so over they went as well. Feel sorry for them, really. No little storks to bring up....

Oh well, maybe they can enjoy a relaxing summer together eating frogs and such!

Edit: I see that one of the storks has flown the coop as well.

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07 ♂	Jun 17, 10, 06:29 #27
Anja: Storks - the Symbol of Poland i think the austrians also claim it as a symbol.. or at least there are many there too.

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jun 19, 10, 02:30 #28
Looks like the hubby came back home after a bender. Either that or she got herself a new beau.

ShawnHThreads: 9 Posts: 3,056 Joined: Jul 2, 09 ♂	Jul 22, 10, 02:54 #29
Well. It would appear that the family provided in the first link didn't work out so well. There is always next year. In the meantime, you can be a voyeur at this website, and they have 3 little ones. It will be interesting to watch them grow. Bociani Voyeur Cam

pgtxThreads: 49 Posts: 6,327 Joined: Feb 14, 09 MEMBER ♀	Jul 22, 10, 03:01 #30
ShawnH: Bociani Voyeur Cam awww... thanks for that Shawn... i keep my fingers crossed for them... (very small apartment they are living at) ;)

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