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Ringing summary 2024This year, we were thrilled to experience such a productive and busy stork breeding season across all project sites.
At Knepp, an impressive 53 wild chicks fledged in 2024. At Wadhurst Park, 4 chicks fledged, and Cotswold Wildlife Park’s captive breeding program contributed 33 birds to Knepp to help bolster the colony, along with 6 birds to Wadhurst.
Each year, all young storks in the project are ringed by trained specialists under a license from the British Trust of Ornithology. Two rings are placed on each bird: a blue plastic Darvic ring with the letters “GB” followed by a unique code, and a metal BTO ring. The Darvic ring is placed on the upper left leg (tarsus) for easy visibility through binoculars or a camera, while the metal ring, which lasts a lifetime, ensures long-term identification. Though rare, plastic rings can break, but having both rings provides valuable data on each bird’s lifespan and movement.
Through this ringing process, we’ve been able to track extraordinary migration journeys and gather vital insights into the storks’ breeding behavior over the years.
As the wild stork colony continues to establish and grow, maintaining a robust data set on the birds’ survival and movements is crucial. In this short blog, we aim to give an overview of the ringing process and a summary of the 2024 season. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, feel free to get in touch with us!
At Knepp, ringing began earlier than ever this year, with chicks from the first nest, observed via live camera, being ringed on May 26th. Determining the right time to ring each nest depends heavily on the incredible volunteers, who dedicate countless hours to closely monitor adult stork behavior. The project is supported by around 40 dedicated volunteers at Knepp, all of whom play a vital role in collecting data on the colony. Braving all types of weather and often spending hours out in the wildland, these volunteers have gathered thousands of observations over the years, providing invaluable insight into the storks’ lives and contributing to the success of the project.
When adult storks are observed regurgitating food, it’s a clear sign that the chicks have started to hatch. From this point, the timing for ringing the young can be accurately calculated. The ideal age for ringing is around 45-55 days old—this ensures the young storks have had sufficient time to develop strong legs, but are still young enough that they won’t attempt to fledge prematurely when disturbed.
When the timing is right, the young storks typically play dead when approached, remaining almost completely still throughout the process of being removed from the nest and ringed. Meanwhile, the parents usually keep a close watch, either from a nearby tree or by circling overhead.
To access the nests at Knepp at the right time, we rely on the invaluable contributions of key team members: Jeremy Gates, an expert tree climber and bird ringer, and John Gin, who operates the specialist heavy machinery needed to reach the nests. Working alongside them is Penny Green, Ecologist and bird ringer, who handles the ringing and bird care.
At the start of the season, the team assesses each nest to determine the safest and most effective approach. Many of the nests are perched high in oak trees or located in areas with uneven terrain, making access challenging. However, thanks to the team’s expertise, each visit is carefully planned and safely executed.
From late May through June 2024, the team worked diligently to ring all 19 nests at Knepp, successfully ringing a total of 53 chicks. A key priority for us was sharing this process with as many young people as possible, providing a hands-on experience that showcased conservation in action and fostered an appreciation for these magnificent birds. Several school and home education groups were invited to observe the ringing, where students were encouraged to get a close look at the young storks and ask questions about the data collection process.
The entire ringing process takes around 10 minutes per bird. The young storks are safely lowered to the ground in an Ikea bag, which happens to be the perfect size and strength for the task! Once on the ground, the team quickly uses specialized tools to attach the rings, collect a feather sample for genetic testing, and take biometrics such as weight, wingspan, and leg length. This data is invaluable for future studies and provides insight into the health of each bird. Most nests contain 2 to 4 chicks, and each chick is processed individually before being promptly returned to the nest. From observations, we’ve noted that parents typically return to check on their young within five minutes.
Although the process was occasionally delayed due to poor weather, the team’s flexibility and dedication—often coming in on weekends and evenings—ensured that all the ringing was completed successfully. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making this important work possible!
For those interested in seeing more, we were thrilled to welcome The One Show earlier this year to film some of the ringing. They put together a wonderful short feature on the project, which can be found on our YouTube channel here:
One Show White Stork Project 2024 – YouTube
Huge thanks especially to Jeremy, John, Penny, all the lovely students who visited and also volunteer Amy Hurn for providing some of the photographs. Special thanks also to all the volunteers and especially Tim and Kevin who have contributed enormously to the accurate data collection allowing us to time ringing appropriately.
