Stork nests to cost €1m for railway lines in south-west France

National rail operator SNCF is to spend €1 million relocating storks that have made their home on overhead cables in south-west France. 

The nests span 11km of track in the Landes department, between Mées and Saubusse, south of Dax.

But a new line planned between Dax and Bayonne means the rail operator will have to move some 68 stork nests by 2027-2028. 

“This is both a technical and ecological challenge, carried out with the utmost respect for a protected species,” the Departmental Federation of Hunters of the Landes (FDC40) said in a statement. 

The federation has been working to protect storks since the 1970s, and is helping SNCF with the project. 

The plan is to install alternative concrete platforms away from the tracks for the birds to nest on. 

Read more: White storks make strong return in France via nest ‘platforms’ and clipped wings

Viable stork project

The project is “viable and necessary”, Olivier Bruni, a photographer and expert in white storks in the area, told The Connexion. 

He has worked with local landowners in the past to install artificial nest boxes and said their success – the platforms have been used by the storks every year – bodes well for the new plan.

“There is a strong chance the storks will adapt,” he said, of the new concrete platforms.

But he warned SNCF would have to take measures to deter the birds from rebuilding their nests on the overhead lines, as they could be tempted to return to their former favoured position. 

He suggested installing an anemometer (a wind measuring device) at the top of the lines to take up the space, thus preventing the birds from nesting there. 

Several platforms have already been built away from the overhead lines as part of an experimental phase of the plans. 

“Eight out of the 11 have already been adopted,” said FDC40, a promising sign for the new plan. 

SNCF has estimated that 1% of all storks in France are nesting along the railway line, with 80 couples of the 6,000 couples in France counted in 2023-24. 

White storks had almost disappeared in France 50 years ago, but today their numbers are increasing, with the species spreading from its traditional home in Alsace to western areas of the country. 

Since the birds are protected in France it is illegal to kill them. Storks have a wingspan of almost two metres. Mates stay together for life and can have several young at a time. 

The nests can weigh hundreds of kilos, up to a tonne in weight, with many entangled in the overhead cables themselves. 

Perched on top of dangerous, high-speed railway lines might not be the first place you would expect birds to nest, but storks are drawn to the lines because of the nearby wetlands. 

These provide ample food for the birds, which return every year to spend the winter and breed. 

“These environments play a crucial role for local biodiversity, particularly for emblematic species such as the white stork,” said FDC40. 

Read more: PHOTOS: why there are so many more storks in France now

The birds also choose the lines for their high position, making them an excellent look-out spot.

“Storks have used the overhead lines because they are safe and out of reach. These metal structures can support the weight of the nest, which will be strengthened each year. 

Storks like to nest high up to escape ground predators,” said Mr Bruni. 

Experts say around 100 storks are born each year from animals nesting on the lines. 

The full move is scheduled to take place during the autumn of 2028.