Stork sanctuary

Villages in Uttar Pradesh mount efforts to protect painted storks and inspire a conservation movement

- YASHMITA ULMAN AND MANOJ SINGH

EVERY SEPTEMBER for the past 15 years, the trees, fields, schoolyards and even pucca roads of a handful of villages in Etawah district play home to unusual visitors: large painted storks. The bird is seen across India in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and southern states. But in central Uttar Pradesh, only five-six villages in Etawah host the species, Mycteria leucocephala.

To ensure that these areas continue to hold this distinction, since 2024 their residents have mounted efforts to protect the bird and its nesting sites.

"The painted stork has become a symbol of pride. Earlier we were unaware of how special it is to see them here.