Climate change disrupts stork migration patterns in Turkey
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey - Global warming has changed the migration habits of white storks in the Tigris Valley in Turkey’s southeastern city of Diyarbakir (Amed).
Storks have always followed a migratory route through Africa, Europe, and Asia.
But due to dropping temperatures caused by climate change, Anatolia has become a permanent home for many of these birds.
Biology professor Ahmet Kilic, who has been studying the species for over 20 years, says that the storks have gradually stopped migrating.
"Under normal circumstances, storks migrate 5-6 thousand kilometers to the valleys and gorges of the Nile River. After spending winter there, they return to Diyarbakir, Siirt, Mardin, and Batman to lay eggs and raise their chicks. Due to global warming, significant changes have occurred between seasons, and because of this, storks no longer migrate. This is because they can now find food during winters in Diyarbakir, Batman, and Siirt," he told Rudaw.
Wildlife Protection Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Lukman Arslan pointed out the need to adapt to climate change regarding the unusual stay of the storks in the valley.
"Since we can no longer stop seasonal changes and cannot return nature to its original state, we must take steps according to these changes and learn to live with them," said Arslan, who is the coordinator of Wildlife Protection Center at Van Yuzuncu Yil University.
Storks have always followed a migratory route through Africa, Europe, and Asia.
But due to dropping temperatures caused by climate change, Anatolia has become a permanent home for many of these birds.
Biology professor Ahmet Kilic, who has been studying the species for over 20 years, says that the storks have gradually stopped migrating.
"Under normal circumstances, storks migrate 5-6 thousand kilometers to the valleys and gorges of the Nile River. After spending winter there, they return to Diyarbakir, Siirt, Mardin, and Batman to lay eggs and raise their chicks. Due to global warming, significant changes have occurred between seasons, and because of this, storks no longer migrate. This is because they can now find food during winters in Diyarbakir, Batman, and Siirt," he told Rudaw.
Wildlife Protection Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Lukman Arslan pointed out the need to adapt to climate change regarding the unusual stay of the storks in the valley.
"Since we can no longer stop seasonal changes and cannot return nature to its original state, we must take steps according to these changes and learn to live with them," said Arslan, who is the coordinator of Wildlife Protection Center at Van Yuzuncu Yil University.