We are returning to Siberia in summer (Tuesday, May 13, 2003)
The first year of monitoring black storks in Asia had a sad ending... It showed that the migration of birds from Siberia to their wintering grounds is difficult and dangerous. However, we can only help them if we know what or who endangers them. At the same time, we learned a lot about both black stork and bird migration ion general. Especially Katerina surprised us many times. Her behaviour may shed light on the navigation mechanisms in birds and how migration paths are established.
We were pleased that the Czech project New Odyssey eventually got an international dimension with the participation of ornithologists and conservationists from many different countries. As our friend, Israeli ornithologist Yossi Leshem, would say, migrating birds respect no frontiers. We believe that international cooperation on this and any future projects can help extend our knowledge, improve the protection of storks and other migrating birds, as well as contribute to better understanding between people of different cultures.
This year, we are planning to use modern technology to track black storks from the Novosibirsk region again. We would like to learn more about their migration paths and, in the first place, about their wintering grounds and wintering strategies on the Indian Subcontinent. We hope that this time, the "backpacker" storks will be luckier... Who knows, maybe some of them will again fly over the world's highest mountain ranges that serve as a natural laboratory where it is possible to study various aspects of bird migration.