Research Article |
Corresponding author: Nika Budagashvili ( nika.budagashvili.1@iliauni.edu.ge ) Academic editor: Levan Mumladze
© 2024 Nika Budagashvili, Dachi Shoshitashvili, Tamar Uguzashvili.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Budagashvili N, Shoshitashvili D, Uguzashvili T (2024) White Storks (Ciconia ciconia Linnaeus, 1758) in Georgia: Current distribution and population status. Caucasiana 3: 235-243. https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e141157
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This study provides an analysis of the current status, population trends, and distribution of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) in the Republic of Georgia. Findings from our most recent survey in 2024 revealed a 40% increase in the number of White Stork nesting pairs in settlements previously surveyed during the 2018–2020 census. However, this increase was not statistically significant. The 2024 survey expanded its scope to include 36 additional settlements that had not been surveyed or reported in prior assessments, resulting in the documentation of 55 new nesting pairs within 22 settlements. Among the 23 settlements surveyed in both 2018–2020 and 2024, fluctuations in the number of White Stork nesting pairs were observed in 14 settlements, with a general increase and slight declines noted in four settlements.
Avifauna, Caucasus, Distribution, Monitoring, Threats
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is one of the most easily monitored bird species due to its habitat preference close to human settlements, colonial nesting behavior, and high detectability (
The White Stork is a migratory breeding species in Georgia, with a limited local range in the southern Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions (Fig.
Unlike many European countries, the published data about such easily monitored species is scarce in Georgia, with significant gaps between years of population censuses (
Historical data on the White Stork population in Georgia (census data for 1984, 1994-95, 2013-2014, and 2018-2020 years) were extracted from the literature (
Descriptive statistics were used to analyze White Stork population trends over the years and to examine the distribution of nests by the number of nestlings. To determine whether there were statistically significant changes in the number of White Stork nesting pairs between 2018–2020 and 2024 from 23 settlements, we first log-transformed the count data and then applied the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to evaluate the differences between the census years.
All statistical analyses and visualization were performed in RStudio (version 2024.4.2.764) using R (
All of the nests recorded in both 2018-2020 and 2024 were located within settlements. In total, we surveyed 59 settlements, from which breeding pairs were detected in 43 (Suppl. Material 1).
During the survey, we discovered 202 nesting pairs or nests occupied by the White Stork in the study area (compared to 105 nesting pairs reported during the previous survey), indicating an upward increase in local population over time (see Fig.
Between the last population monitoring in 2018–2020 and 2024, the White Stork population in Georgia increased by 40%, though this increase was not statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed-rank test with continuity correction: V = 35.5, p = 0.299). The calculation is based only on the 23 settlements that were censused during the 2018-2020 to 2024 years.
In addition, for the new settlements that were not accounted for in the 2018–2020 (or older) census-either because no nests were found or because these areas were not surveyed–we recorded breeding pairs in 22 settlements. In these 22 settlements, we recorded a total of 55 nesting pairs (see Fig.
This study provided a noteworthy case of the increasing local population of White Storks in Georgia; although the observed changes were not statistically significant, it indicates an existence of a stable population with increasing trends. On the other hand, several additional topics require further investigation, as the given knowledge does not allow us to unambiguously explain the observed pattern. More comprehensive studies are needed to identify the factors driving population growth. To support broader understanding of the population dynamics of White Stork in Georgia, systematic monitoring of the local population is essential, alongside the collection of data on various ecological and environmental variables. Monitoring should be conducted using consistent methodologies, and as much detailed information as possible on White Storks should be gathered. For instance, while analyzing the data, we lacked published comparative information on hatchling success from previous monitoring years.
There is also a growing commitment in Georgia to expand green energy infrastructure, including wind farms, which pose significant risks to large soaring bird species (
We would like to thank the Society for Nature Conservation – SABUKO, and the Sigrid Rausing Trust, for their support and Giorgi Khubashvili for additional assistance in the fieldwork. The reviewer and the editor have provided useful suggestions to improve the manuscript.
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
No funding was reported.
All authors have contributed equally.
Nika Budagashvili https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6166-9945
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text or Supplementary Information.
White Storks nesting records in Georgia
Data type: occurrence
Explanation note: Data table provides occurrence records of all recorded nesting pairs and nests during the census dates from 2018 to 2024 for White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) across Georgia.