White Storks migrate to spend the winter in the south. They have to look for the food that it is not easy to find in the northern parts of Europe. Some of them spend their winter in the south of Spain and some go further south to Central Africa. They can travel up to 12000km!
Storks only travel by day and in order to travel long distances they soar on hot air currents called thermals. We cannot see thermals - they are hot air. As it enters a thermal, a Stork is pushed high by the rising air. As it reaches the top of the thermal and leaves it, it can gently glide over long distances and slowly glides downwards.
It is easier for storks to travel in large flocks. When one bird finds a thermal the others follow it and start soaring. The more birds that travel together, the easier it is for them to find a good thermal - that is why bigger flocks travel faster than single birds. In autumn throughout Europe it is possible to see flocks of up to 10000 birds at a time.
In Cyprus smaller flocks of storks may occasionally be seen. It is unusual for large flocks of storks to migrate over the island.
