Western White Stork becoming more tame – Dhahran Hills

The Western White Stork is still showing well on the football pitch at Dhahran Hills and is now becoming more used to people. When I first found the bird on 17 September 2013 it was quite flighty and nervous and would fly off when anyone got to within about 50 metres of it. Over time it has become more used to people and now obviously feels safer in the area. Recently I got to within about ten metres of the bird and it showed no signs of being afraid and just kept on feeding on the grassy field. Luckily for the Stork the camp is a very safe area and no shooting is allowed, so as long as it stays in this area it will have no problems. The issue is if it moves away from here and thinks things will be the same outside it is in for a shock, as hunting goes on in many areas of Saudi Arabia and I would imagine a bird like this would attract attention and be a high priority for the hunters. It would be great if the bird stayed all winter, as this has happened once before in the Eastern province, but it is more likely the bird will continue on its migration to Africa.