Every spring, millions of storks embark on a grueling journey from South Africa, with approximately 90 percent of European storks choosing to cross the strait in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Fikret Can, an 81-year-old researcher affectionately known as “Grandpa Stork,” emphasizes that this specific route is crucial because the birds rely on land-based thermal currents to fly. The region’s historical reverence for these migratory birds dates back to the Ottoman Empire, which even established dedicated hospitals to treat injured storks. Today, experts urge residents near resting areas like Arnavutköy and Çatalca to observe the exhausted birds from a distance without disturbing them
Ahmet Faruk Sarıkoç- Volkan Kayalar
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