Stork Day in Croatia is celebrated on August 24, with the aim of increasing public awareness of their endangered species and the importance of protecting this species and its habitat. Two species of stork live in Croatia: the black stork (Cicconia nigra) and the white stork (Ciconia ciconia), which are also found in Varaždin County.
The white stork is a migratory bird that lives in Croatia and other parts of Europe during spring and summer. The white stork is the most famous European wetland bird with its characteristic long red legs and straight pointed red beak, it is a symbol of preserved natural habitats and traditional landscapes, a healthy life and a clean environment, therefore the care and preservation of this species is extremely important. The survival of the white stork depends mostly on the preservation of the traditional way of life in the countryside, which implies agricultural areas that are used in the traditional way and wet meadows where the stork finds the most food. The habitat of the stork is extensive swamps, meadows and pastures.
Storks come to European villages every year on March 19 to nest on the roofs of houses and stay until August 24, when they leave for Africa. As a result of intensive industrial agriculture and construction, extensive wet meadows, fields, pastures and marshes are shrinking, and therefore the number of storks is declining. Čigoč, a village in the protected Lonjsko polje, was declared a European stork village, due to their abundance.
Translated by: Andrea Božić