Satelliten-Telemetrie beim WeißstorchCiconia ciconia: Wanderung eines Ost-Storchs in den Süd-Jemen

Abstract

Here we report on an unusual migratory route of a White Stork within the eastern migration corridor (east of the Central European migration divide) to the Arabian peninsula as far as South Yemen. White Storks migrating to and wintering in this area are scarce and their routes there and back — four being under discussion in the literature — are unknown. The 14-year-old breeding female from eastern Germany that we have investigated chose a route passing from Central Europe so far east as to touch the western Ukraine. Around the Gulf of Iskenderun the stork flew in the typical way, performing a migration bend to the right. But when passing Syria the stork again took an extremely easterly route. From the area of Damascus it did not follow the normal southwestern corridor through Jordan to Israel but flew in a southern direction to Saudi Arabia and along the eastern coast of the Red Sea to South Yemen. There, it was unfortunately shot. It remains open whether this migration-experienced adult bird made an orientation “error” in its old age or whether it might already have wintered on the Arabian peninsula in previous years.