The migratory journey of white storks across Europe and Africa involves welfare risks including exhaustion, collision mortality, and hunting pressure that conservation measures are working to address.
Migration is inherently dangerous and energetically costly - storks flying thousands of kilometres face weather events, reduced thermal availability, and hazards including power lines and hunting that cause individual suffering and mortality. The welfare improvements available through conservation action - insulating power lines, reducing hunting pressure in key corridor countries, and providing safe staging areas - are among the most scalable interventions available for migratory bird welfare.