It's one of the bird most admired and most respected in Portugal, for this and other reasons continue to reproduce favorably in our territory.
The white stork is one of the birds in Portugal that enjoys a very special status, is in fact very popular. Being by nature a migratory bird, this specimen hibernates in our country during a period that encompasses the months of March until July, when the flying offspring exceeded between 50-75 days of existence, allowing them to accompany their parents to Africa.
According to the V Census of 2004, conducted in our country, with the objective of making the survey the number of these birds in our territory, it was found that there was a striking overall increase of 133% over 1994. An impressive percentage that corresponds to 8205 occupied nests in Portugal as opposed to 3302, equivalent to previous censuses. Thus, placing the white stork in a top position regarding species conservation.
One factor that has contributed to the preservation of this specimen is the maintenance of some agricultural practices, such as the rain fed cereal and rice fields. In this last feeding zone, there is an even greater concentration of birds because of the red crayfish of Louisiana, an invader crustacean preyed on large quantities by white storks.
The center and south of the country are generally the areas with greatest number of occupied nests, with a greater expression in the landscape of Alentejo, to the point that these friendly birds are already part of these idyllic locations. One fact that is not stranger to the equation is the admiration that Portuguese garnered these birds in general. Very recently, a couple of white storks decided nesting for the second time on a private estate in Viana do Castelo, an unusual area even for this specimen, and for this reason alone, the couple are been protected by the local, such is the affection they feel towards the birds .
One of the greatest threats to survival of migratory species are the high voltage cables and heavy metals found in significant concentrations in the paddy fields where they feed, in particular mercury contamination of the water by the chemical, pharmaceutical and mining industries. However, according to the Red Book of Vertebrates of Portugal, the situation of the white stork is of little concern, as opposed to other world populations.
