The offspring of a stork that became famous after a documentary about his unlikely friendship with a Turkish fisherman have flown thousands of miles to reach their winter feeding grounds.
The chicks were born this year in Eskikaraagaç, a village on the shores of Lake Uluabat in Turkey's Bursa province, and set off on their first migration at the end of July and the start of August.
The details were confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Directorate General of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) on 15th August.
Video footage released by the ministry shows a digital map charting their migration, with signals from satellite transmitters plotting one chick’s journey to Egypt and the other’s to the West Bank.
The images were also shared on DKMP’s official social media accounts with the caption: "This isn’t just a migration; it’s also a journey to understand and protect nature."
Four chicks were raised this year by Yaren the stork and his mate Nazli. All were ringed in June, and two were fitted with satellite transmitters as part of the Turkey Bird Migration Routes Determination Project.
The first chick began its migration on 29th July and flew 2,300 kilometres (1,430 miles) to Egypt.
The second chick started on 3rd August and travelled 1,510 kilometres (940 miles) to the West Bank.
Both birds are still sending regular signals, which researchers say are vital for mapping migration routes and protecting stork habitats.
The project aims to track life cycles and migratory paths of storks, contributing to long-term conservation strategies.
Yaren first became a household name in Turkey after his 13-year friendship with fisherman Adem Yilmaz was turned into a documentary.
Each spring, he has returned from Africa to meet him on his boat, with this year marking his 14th visit.
The village is the only Turkish member of the European Stork Friendly Villages Network and has become a model for wildlife protection and community involvement in conservation.
Lake Uluabat, which is Yaren’s habitat, is protected under the Ramsar Convention and was added to the International Living Lakes Network in 2000 as one of Turkey's three officially recognised "living lakes."
The ringing and satellite monitoring carried out there remain key to preserving bird species and wetlands.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
NewsX-YarinStork-01.jpg Copyright: @milliparklar/Newsflash/NX
Description: Video shows stork Yaren's chicks, undated. They are on their migration journey. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(@milliparklar/Newsflash/NX)
NewsX-YarinStork-02.jpg Copyright: @milliparklar/Newsflash/NX
Description: Video shows stork Yaren's chicks, undated. They are on their migration journey. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(@milliparklar/Newsflash/NX)
NewsX-YarinStork-03.jpg Copyright: @milliparklar/Newsflash/NX
Description: Picture shows the journey of stork Yaren's chicks, undated. They traveled thousands of kilometers. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(@milliparklar/Newsflash/NX)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-01.jpg Copyright: @alpertuydes/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | The stork named Yaren visited the Turkish fisherman once again in the village of Eskikaraagac, located in the Karacabey district of the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa. Note: Photo provided by Alper Tuydes (@alpertuydes/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-02.jpg Copyright: @alpertuydes/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | The stork named Yaren visited the Turkish fisherman once again in the village of Eskikaraagac, located in the Karacabey district of the northwestern Turkish city of Bursa. Note: Photo provided by Alper Tuydes (@alpertuydes/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-03.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes Fotograf/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows the photographer Alper Tuydes with the fisherman Adem Yilmaz in Turkey. Note: Photo provided by Alper Tuydes (Alper Tuydes Fotograf/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-04.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes Fotograf/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows a spectacular photograph that was captured by a photographer on a magical sunset while photographing a fisherman living with a friendly stork in Turkey. Note: Photo provided by Alper Tuydes (Alper Tuydes Fotograf/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-05.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes Fotograf/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows a spectacular photograph that was captured by a photographer on a magical sunset while photographing a fisherman living with a friendly stork in Turkey. Note: Photo provided by Alper Tuydes (Alper Tuydes Fotograf/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-06.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows the fisherman Adem Yilmaz during his evening tour at the lake, in the village of Eskikaraagac, in the western Turkish province of Bursa. Note: Picture is a video screengrab (Alper Tuydes/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-07.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows the fisherman Adem Yilmaz during his evening tour at the lake, in the village of Eskikaraagac, in the western Turkish province of Bursa. Note: Picture is a video screengrab (Alper Tuydes/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-08.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows the fisherman Adem Yilmaz during his evening tour at the lake, in the village of Eskikaraagac, in the western Turkish province of Bursa. Note: Picture is a video screengrab (Alper Tuydes/Newsflash)
NewsX-YarenStorkTr-09.jpg Copyright: Alper Tuydes/Newsflash
Description: Archive Picture | Picture shows the fisherman Adem Yilmaz during his evening tour at the lake, in the village of Eskikaraagac, in the western Turkish province of Bursa. Note: Picture is a video screengrab (Alper Tuydes/Newsflash)
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NewsX-YarenStorkTr-01.mp4 Video Copyright: Alper Tuydes/Newsflash Video Caption: Archive Video | Caption:Fisherman during his evening tour in Lake Uluabat ***Video Licence Restrictions: NONE/UNLIMITED. For this video we have obtained a non-exclusive licence – for details of this licence type see https://www.newsflash.media/
