White storks are iconic migratory birds that nest in close association with humans. Conservation successes and ongoing threats reveal complex welfare challenges at the human-wildlife interface.
White stork welfare intersects uniquely with human culture and tolerance. Where storks nest on human structures, they depend entirely on human goodwill for breeding success. Power line electrocution causes traumatic death and injury at scale along migration routes; this is a welfare harm that technology can readily fix through insulation or line burial programs. On African wintering grounds, the welfare of storks is tied to the health of agricultural systems that affect prey availability. The stork migration story illustrates how animal welfare across an entire lifecycle requires international cooperation and multiple intervention points, from nesting site protection in Europe to prey habitat in Sub-Saharan Africa.