White Storks on a rooftop nest

Storks are dwarfed by their enormous stick nests made of vine cuttings. This couple are overwintering. Traditionally, these birds would normally fly to Africa to winter in August and September. In the 1970's the Alsace stork was nearly extinct, crashing from 145 pairs in 1961 to 9 pairs in 1974. Currently there are around 600 nesting pairs most of which migrate to Africa. However, a population of storks remain in Alsace, a product of the re-introduction programs where captive storks are bred and released. This has created a small resident population that no longer migrates south. Feeding during winter combined with milder winters has dissuaded these storks from migrating.