Wild storks in Japan grow to 476 birds

Wild storks^*1 are flying again in Japan. At the end of July 2024, there were 476 storks living in the wild. The number comes from the government of Hyogo, a prefecture^*2 in Japan, and a group there that works to bring storks back to the wild.

Many years ago, the story was very different. In 1971, the wild storks that raised chicks in Japan were all gone. There were no more wild storks making nests in the country.

In 2005, there were only six storks in the wild in Japan. Some of them were wild birds that had flown in from other places.

Since then, the number has grown to 476. Storks that raise chicks do not go far from their nests. They usually move around an area of about two to ten kilometers.

1. *1 storks: large white birds with long legs and a long beak that make big nests
2. *2 prefecture: a large area of Japan with its own local government, like a state