Autumn migration: why do storks fly over the Bosphorus?
From the end of August to the end of September, if you look up in Istanbul, you will most likely see a flock of storks. Sometimes hundreds of them circle in the sky at the same time. There is a reason for it, and the reason has to do with the wind.
Storks don't like flapping
The white stork is a big bird. Its wingspan can reach two meters. Flapping wings this big for hours takes a lot of energy. So storks found another way. When the sun heats the ground, warm air rises from it. A stork enters this warm air, circles upward, and then glides without flapping at all until the next warm air current.
There is no warm air over the sea
The problem is that the sea doesn't heat up like land. These warm air currents hardly form over the sea. If a stork goes out over the open sea, it has to flap, and it may not be able to survive a long crossing. That's why storks cross the sea at its narrowest point.
Storks going from Europe to Africa have two big routes. The western ones cross the Strait of Gibraltar and the eastern ones cross the Bosphorus. Then they cross Anatolia and go down to Africa through the Middle East. Other birds that glide, like eagles, buzzards and honey buzzards, use the same route.
When and where to watch
The busiest time is the last week of August and the first half of September. Midday is best, because the warm air currents get stronger when the sun climbs. In Istanbul, high places like Çamlıca Hill are known spots for watching the migration. If you bring binoculars, it's much more fun.
This year's migration is over, and the storks are in Africa right now. They will come back along the same route in March and April. So you don't have to wait long to watch the spring migration.
A flock of storks in the sky
How about filling the DrawBird sky with storks this week? The stork lesson shows a stork step by step. You can draw a few and gather them into a flock. And don't forget the swallow, which also spends the winter in Africa. It has a lesson now too.