Storks in Chiclana | Costa de la Luz | Spain

Chiclana de la Frontera has one of the largest populations of storks in all of Southern Spain. So if you are an avid birdwatcher, Chiclana is a fantastic place to get those binoculars out.

For some years now these birds have stopped migrating to subsaharian Africa, and live here all year round. White Storks tend to nest around wetland areas, agricultural lands and the Salt flats that dot the area around Chiclana. It is in these areas that they find the food for their diet which primarily consists of orthopteros insects, for example; grasshoppers, locusts, crickets 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).

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.