White stork Findus has crossed a total of 23 countries on an unusual scenic flight over Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The two-year-old cub chose – unlike usual – a different route for its return flight from its African winter quarters than on the way there, as the “Greenpeace Magazine” reported.
In late summer 2022, Findus moved via Germany, Southeast Europe, Turkey and the Middle East to Sudan, where he overwintered, as GPS data shows. In February he made an unexpected return via the West, flying to Europe via Chad, Niger, Algeria and Morocco. At the end of June he was in southern France. Interested parties can view Findu’s current location via an app.
A solar-powered GPS transmitter is attached to Findu’s back with the help of wing loops. The project is carried out by the Danish stork protection association “storkene.dk” and the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen. According to the information, storks that had been equipped with GPS transmitters for research and bird protection purposes had always returned along the same route.
The animal probably joined the so-called west migrants – storks that take the western migration route via Gibraltar and Spain. According to the magazine, storks often form loose groups when migrating.
