Once extinct in Denmark, the white stork is making a comeback, with the highest number of nestlings in decades, raising hopes it may again become a familiar sight in the Nordic country.
Thirty-three stork nestlings were born to 13 nesting pairs in the Danish countryside in 2025, up from 15 last year and the highest number since the 1980s, according to Storks Denmark, a volunteer group supporting the species’ return.
The white stork population, once thriving with some 4,000 nesting pairs in Denmark in the late 19th century, declined sharply due to the expansion of agriculture and the loss of wetlands, leading to its local extinction in 2008.
The recent rebound is attributed to warmer weather altering migration patterns and to conservation efforts, although challenges remain.
"The way we have our agriculture is not leaving much space for the stork," said Hans Skov, a board member of Storks Denmark.
In Danish folklore, storks symbolize the arrival of spring and good fortune, with nests on rooftops once considered a protective charm for households.
As European winters grow warmer due to climate change, storks are increasingly wintering in Spain instead of South Africa, boosting survival rates by shortening migration distances.
Denmark’s Natural History Museum is tagging five additional nestlings this year with GPS devices to track migration routes.
Storks migrating north from Germany are moving further into Denmark, but struggle to find sufficient food for their young.
Storks Denmark spends around 30,000 Danish crowns ($4,700) annually to provide food, while nest owners supplement daily with chicken or fish.
Grethe Mortensen, who gave her husband a stork nest for their backyard as a birthday gift in 2023, expressed optimism about the species’ long-term prospects.
"I want them to keep coming here to Denmark ... and I hope that something is done for the storks so they can survive on their own," she said.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 21st of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
President Donald Trump said the United States will target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site “pretty soon” as he meets with Lebanese president Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran while Tehran continues to target Gulf countries.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump threatens a heavy strike on the suspected Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Tehran warns that any attack could trigger a wider regional escalation.
Daniel Siad, a modelling scout whose name appeared in documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home near Paris, French prosecutors said. He was 69.
Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, takes charge at a pivotal stage of the war with Russia, facing mounting challenges including troop shortages, battlefield reform and the rapid evolution of drone warfare.
ASEAN foreign ministers opened the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on 21 July, launching four days of talks that run until 24 July. The agenda includes South China Sea tensions, Myanmar’s conflict and growing U.S.-China rivalry.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has renewed calls for an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East while she warned that the humanitarian situation had become "quite grave". Anand also raised concern over tensions in the South China Sea.
Pakistan has asked the U.S. for a $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility, according to a source briefed on the matter. If approved, the funding would bolster the country's foreign exchange reserves and provide a major boost to its cash-strapped economy.
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