-	All photographs of Storks in Chiclana

Chiclana de la Frontera has one of the greatest populations of storks in all of Southern Spain.

We seem to be more and more accustomed to seeing Storks in and around this area. These magnificent birds now form a curious part of our urban landscape. For some years now these birds have stopped migrating to subsaharian Africa, and live here all year round. Without entering into a debate as to whether this change of migratory habits is a good thing or not, we would like to dedicate a bit of time to getting to know these bird´s habits, in particular, the ones that live with us here in the province of Cádiz.

White Storks tend to nest around wetland areas, dumps, agricultural lands and the like. It is in these areas that they find the food for their diet which primarily consists of orthopteros insects, for example; grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, etc.. other insects, and, small amphibians and reptiles. Being surrounded by marshlands and wetlands and in the close proximity of various lakes, such as; Lake Jeli and La Paja, makes the geographical location of our city an ideal spot for these birds to inhabit. So much so, that Chiclana actually has the second highest amount of nests, 79 in total, in the province, an amount which is on the increase every year.

Since 1982, an identification system of baby storks, using rings, has been used in the province of Cádiz. This allows for a close control of the development of these birds, their migratory habits, and with a more long term aim of obtaining a clear idea of their longevity. They are ringed from mid April to mid June, during the 56 day period in which the baby storks are still in their nests after hatching. This control is then followed up and tracked by the GOES (the Ornothological/Birdlife group which oversees the area of the Straits of Gibraltar).

During the courting and mating process, it is the female that takes the lead, she follows a set of complex choreographical moves and caresses, accompanied by a sound which is characteristic to storks, made by narrowing the upper and lower part of their beaks.

Thanks to the fact that the stork population of Spain has doubled since 1995, we can happily say that they no longer appear on the red list of endangered bird species. The Red Book of Birds is published by the Spanish Ornithological/Birdlife Society, a publication which evaluates the situation that birds find themselves in Spain. It numerates those species which are considered to be in danger of extinction and offers recommended guidelines which should be followed to ensure their protection and subsequent conservation.

In order to enjoy watching these birds apart from seeing their nests balanced high on the building in the old part of Chiclana, they can also be spotted in the area of Lake Jeli or Lake Montellano, where storks from all over the region can often be seen feeding in great numbers.

Storks Population in Chiclana

Trees: 36
Buildings and other structures: 9
Electrical and Telephonical net: 25
Others: 9
Total: 79