Storks stay behind in Diyarbakır as warmer winters alter migration patterns

DİYARBAKIR

Storks gather in shallow water at Kabaklı Pond in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Kabaklı Pond in southeastern Türkiye has become a wintering ground for storks that would normally migrate south in autumn, as climate change and rising temperatures alter seasonal migration patterns.

Located in the Tigris Valley, near the historic Diyarbakır Walls and the Hevsel Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the pond has seen its water levels rise with seasonal rainfall, creating favorable conditions for storks to find food and water.

The Tigris Valley has served for thousands of years as a migration corridor for bird species traveling between Africa, Europe and Asia. Storks arriving from Africa in spring to breed have traditionally left Türkiye by September, heading toward the Nile Valley for the winter. However, some are now staying in southeastern Türkiye through the colder months, adapting to milder winters and suitable feeding conditions.

Recep Karakaş, a zoologist at Dicle University’s Faculty of Science, said that researchers have increasingly observed storks remaining in Türkiye during winter as a result of global warming and ecological changes. “We have seen storks beginning to winter in Diyarbakır,” Karakaş said.

Researchers had previously recorded wintering storks along the Batman River and in the Bismil Plain, with counts ranging from 20 to as many as 70 birds. However, they had not previously documented storks wintering at Kabaklı Pond.

Karakaş said their presence at the pond was encouraging and could reflect both growing numbers of storks and increasingly favorable climatic conditions.

Storks face a demanding and often dangerous journey during migration, with many dying along the way. As winters become milder and food remains available, some birds may find it more advantageous to stay in their established habitats rather than undertake the long journey south.

Karakaş said some scientific studies had also found indications that non-migrating storks may achieve somewhat greater breeding success. “This may mean that the stork population could increase in the future, supported by individuals that do not migrate,” he said.

The birds’ cultural significance in Anatolia, where storks are traditionally regarded as sacred, may also help them settle near human communities and find places to roost close to their habitats.