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Four chicks of Yaren the stork, known for its long-standing friendship with fisherman Adem Yilmaz in northwestern Türkiye, have been tagged and health-checked by wildlife officials.
The operation took place near Uluabat Lake, in Eskikaraagac Stork Village, where Yaren has returned every spring for 14 years.
Teams from the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP) briefly removed the chicks from the nest. They measured beak and leg lengths, collected feathers for scientific analysis, and fitted two of the chicks with satellite transmitters. All four were safely returned to the nest after the process.
Eskikaraagac is a member of the European Stork Villages network. The new data from the chicks will help track the stork migration routes that pass through Türkiye.
Yaren first appeared in 2011, landing on Yilmaz’s fishing boat during the migration season. Since then, the stork has returned each spring and stayed until the end of summer. The bond has drawn national attention and emotional responses from locals.
This year, Yaren arrived later than usual. Yilmaz had grown concerned, saying, “Yaren generally comes at the beginning of the month, and when it didn’t show up, I feared something had happened to it.” He added that he now expects to spend the season feeding and caring for the bird until its next migration.
The moment Yaren returned was captured by photographer Alper Tuydes and praised by Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli. The minister wrote, “The reunion that warms our hearts has once again occurred in its 14th year.”
Yaren’s partner, Nazli, also returned this season. In 2024, only one chick survived. This year, all four have been successfully monitored and tagged.
The attention around Yaren has boosted the village’s profile. Live camera streams show the nest around the clock. Viewers often alert locals if they notice any issues with the birds.
Village headman Abdullah Hizli said the story has brought visibility and visitors to the area. “People from abroad and across Türkiye come here because of Yaren and Adem,” he explained.
Each year, Yaren and Nazli leave Eskikaraagac around the end of August. Last year, they departed on Aug. 26. Their chick had started its journey a few weeks earlier.
For now, the nest remains full. As the four young storks grow, researchers, locals, and international viewers continue to follow their progress in real time.
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