White stork comeback intensifies in Switzerland

White storks were extinct in Switzerland 75 years' ago. Keystone

The number of white stork breeding pairs in Switzerland has risen from 200 to 1,250 within 20 years – a remarkable comeback after being completely driven out of the Alpine state 75 years’ ago.

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Of all the storks breeding in Switzerland, only half migrate. Most of those that do migrate stay in the open garbage dumps in Spain and Portugal because they find sufficient food there. Only a very few birds migrate further to Africa.

Certain Swiss municipalities, such as Avenches (Vaud) and Uznach (St Gallen), have around 50 nesting pairs. Both locations have wetlands with abundant food – mice, frogs, worms, and insects – even in winter.

Avenches, in particular, has seen a rapid rise in breeding pairs, from 54 in 2024 to 94 this year.

The population of western storks in Switzerland, France, and western Germany has increased significantly because of more favourable migration routes to the Sahel region of Africa via Spain.

The journey to South Africa is long for eastern storks, exposing them to greater dangers from power lines to hunters. As a result, the population of storks in the western Europe is faring better than those in the east of the continent.

Adapted from German with DeepL/mga

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