White storks² are addicted³ to junk food and make round-trips of almost 100km to get their fix - according to new research from the University of East Anglia. In folklore⁴, storks would carry babies to parents around the world. But since the mid⁵ 1980s, increasing numbers no longer migrate from Europe to Africa for the winter.

 

Instead, many live in Spain and Portugal the whole year round - feeding on 'junk food' from landfill sites, which provide an abundant and reliable food supply.

 

The bird is among a growing number of migratory⁶ species that have changed their behaviour due to human influences and global environmental change.

 

New research published today is the first to confirm that white storks are now resident nesting and living near landfill sites all year round.

 

And researchers now fear that the closure of landfills, as required by EU Landfill Directives, will have a dramatic impact on white stork¹ populations.

 

Lead researcher Dr Aldina Franco, from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences, said: "Portugal's stork population has grown 10 fold over the last 20 years. The country is now home to around 14,000 wintering birds, and numbers continue to grow.

 

"These are exciting times to study animal migration⁷. Several species, including the white stork, which used to be fully⁸ migratory in Europe now have resident populations. We want to understand the causes and the mechanisms⁹ behind these changes in migratory behaviour."

 

"This study looked at the birds' reliance on landfill food, we found that the continuous availability of junk food from landfill has influenced nest use, daily travel distances, and foraging¹⁰ ranges."

 

The research team tracked 48 birds using GPS tracking devices which transmit their positions five times a day. Each tracker also collected accelerometer information with detailed¹¹ data about the birds' behaviour. The researchers are developing these trackers at UEA together with colleagues from the University of Lisbon a

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