site.btaBulgarian Society for Protection of Birds Reports Rise in White Stork Population Compared to Decade Ago

Preliminary results of the white stork count in Bulgaria indicate an increase in the species’ population, according to the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB). The count will continue through next summer.

In 2024, more than 100 volunteers, BSPB workers, experts from Regional Inspectorates for Environment and Water, representatives of NGOs, Nature Park employees, and bird and nature enthusiasts have been involved in the count across Bulgaria.

This initiative is part of the VIII international white stork count, which is conducted every 10 years across Europe. The campaign in Bulgaria is coordinated by the BSPB in partnership with the Executive Environment Agency and internationally led by NABU (BirdLife Germany). The goal is to gather data on the global white stork population, a key indicator of the health and quality of the environment.

The count, spanning two consecutive summers in 2024 and 2025, involves surveying all municipalities and documenting each stork nest, including information on whether the nest is occupied, if it contains chicks and how many, its location - e.g., on a tree, chimney, church, electricity pole, or platform - and any potential threats to the nest. Using the Smartbirds Pro app, participants have access to the locations of all nests recorded during the previous count conducted ten years ago, enabling faster nest detection and accurate data collection.

Preliminary results from 2024 indicate 4,482 active nests, with complete counts conducted in 112 municipalities. Individual nests were counted in an additional 41 municipalities. The average number of chicks per nest is 2.52. A detailed analysis of the data, along with a count in the remaining areas, will be made in 2025.

“In most of the municipalities we visited, there has been an increase in the number of nesting White Storks compared to the data from the 2014–2015 count," said Svilen Chesmedjiev, the national coordinator of the White Stork count in Bulgaria. "Naturally, there are also areas where the number of nests has decreased,” he added. “However, we are optimistic that the upward trend will continue in the remaining settlements to be visited next year. Final data on the size and development of the species’ population in this country will be available after that," Chesmedjiev said.