White Stork: 17 young birds take their first flight in Mincio Park
The Park's project helps the return of this species in Italy
(Mantova, 03 Nov 16) In the last weeks, most European storks have left for Africa, including those which had spent the summer in Mincio Park. Young birds will stay in Africa for at least two years before, hopefully, coming back to Europe, maybe in Mincio Park again.
As it has been happening for several years, a large group of storks is going to winter in Mincio Park, as they have enough food there. Being already "on site", this group will include next spring's first nesting couples.
The population of white storks nesting in Italy has increased by over 200% (according to LIPU), and the Bertone reintroduction centre, together with other centres in Italy, has greatly helped the return of the white stork in Italy and its success in the last years.
This year, stork couples nesting in Mincio Park have had great trouble because of the weather but, in spite of this, some couples have resisted the fury of the elements and taken their brood to success. The number of young storks taking their first flight this year was in the end fairly high: 17 young storks departed from the nests of Mincio Park's 12 couples.
