Record Number of White Stork Chicks Ringed This Year

This year, experts from the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society (MME) and national park authorities ringed 1,887 stork chicks in over 600 nests across the country. The campaign covered 16 counties and 352 settlements, with 12,000 people attending the bird ringing events, making the program one of the largest nature conservation events in Hungary, MME announced.

This year’s ringing season ended during the fledging period of white stork chicks. Since most of the nests are located on electricity poles, the campaign was carried out in many cases with the cooperation of electricity suppliers.

In total, approximately one in every nine white stork chicks received an individual ring, an adequate sampling ratio for scientific monitoring.

The goal is not to ring every chick, but to gather representative data for long-term conservation efforts.

Since white storks often live close to humans, it provides an exceptional opportunity to gather information using bird rings. The data collected not only deepens our understanding of this species, but also offers insights that can be applied to other wildlife. The blue plastic or painted aluminum rings placed on the chicks’ legs are marked with unique codes that can be read from a distance, allowing for individual identification.

This makes it possible to track each bird’s age, migration routes, and site fidelity. This data provides crucial information for understanding the behavior of wild birds, assessing the threats they face, and planning effective conservation measures.

In 2025, experts from MME and the national park directorates ringed 1,887 white stork chicks in 614 nests, spanning 16 counties and 352 settlements. After setting a record of 1,767 ringed chicks in 2024, this year saw an even higher number of individuals tagged. This figure does not yet include those chicks taken to wildlife rescue centers that will later be released.

Via mme.hu, Featured image: Pexels