1995 July August September October November December 1996 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1997 January February March April May June July August September October November December 1998 January February March April May June July August September October PEOPLE   Briefly about the project "African Odyssey" Kristyna returned to reside on "her palm" for the forth time in a roll Black stork female Kristyna has been under African Odyssey observation for four years. This week, she returned to her usual winter habitat near Khossant (Eastern Senegal territory). With a little luck, she is sitting on her favorite palm now. This year, Kristyna left the Brdy Hills together with her "husband" on September 18. In France, they each went their separate ways. Kristyna flew across western Pyrenees (September 30) and the Strait of Gibraltar (October 11). On October 20, she was south of Sahara. She stopped for two weeks about 150 kilometers from her winter habitat. She was flying average of 350 km per day. Right now, she is 4700 kilometers far from her nest in the Brdy hills. This year's observations focused on Kristyna revealed several interesting issues. The black storks keep both their nesting and winter habitat locations unchanged. Although the actual journeys may differ, the birds always find the same winter habitat. This fact is interesting as a theoretical news and for the stork protection. Kristyna's forth journey with her communication set has laid some challenging questions. The satellite pictures reveal that number/length of stops between southern edge of Sahara and the winter habitat is dependent on vegetation growth stage in these areas encountered in the first third of September. Kristyna's "husband" David is still residing in Guadalquiviru river delta (southern Spain), where small stork groups spending their winter time have been reported. David has probably already reached his winter habitat. The African Odyssey project is organized by Czech Radio 2 - PRAHA, the satellite tracking system is sponsored by DHL International Czech Republic. Miroslav Bobek, Czech Radio 2 - PRAHA 6.11.1998 One of our storks shot by a French "hunter"       Black stork named Hynek (whose journey to winter habitat has been tracked as a part of the African Odyssey project) has been shot by a French "hunter". GΘrard Jadoul (a zoologist originating in Belgium) informed the Czech Radio about the accident. Hynek has been shot about 3 days ago near the Dondas village (SW France); no more details are available so far.       According to Jadoul's information, Hynek may be the third black stork shot by a vandal hunter. Another stork carrying the marker ring of National Museum Prague has been killed 2 months ago near Baie de Somme. The Czech Radio 2 - PRAGUE (that coordinates the whole African Odyssey project) is preparing to send a complaint both to French Embassy in Prague and French Executive Department of Living Environment.       Thanks to live sessions accessible via the Internet, young male stork Hynek has been observed by a thousands of people since his very birth (dated May 31,1998). In July, he was equipped with a satellite communication set (like all members of his stork family). Thanks to this device, his journey to the tropics could easily be followed and mapped.       More information are available on Czech Radio 2 - PRAGUE program or refer to the website http://capi.internet.cz. Miroslav Bobek, Czech Radio 2 - PRAGUE 30.9.1998 The Stork Shooting Case Goes On Today, Czech Radio 2 - PRAGUE representatives have delivered a protest document to the French Embassy in Prague. Thus, they react to death of black stork Hynek that was recently shot in France. The protest document included letters from angry listeners, too. The African Odyssey project developed by Czech radio 2 Prague included satellite-based tracking of the entire black stork family. However, one of the babies, male Hynek, has been shot to death in south western France on the 27th of September by a local hunter. Hynek is not the only victim of vandal hunters. Three other storks were killed in France in 1998, including female stork Lea. Lea was flying to Africa with the communication set as well. Her journey had been followed by zoologists from Belgium, Luxembourg and France. As far as France is concerned, its territory seems to be the most dangerous phase of migrant birds' journey to their winter habitat. This applies not to black storks only. The law declaring bird species protection (including black storks) is obviously not respected. Besides, the French parliament have recently accepted a law that violates the EEC regulations as it extends the hunting season. As a result, migrant birds are slaughtered. Supported by African Odyssey project sponsor (the DHL company), the Czech Radio 2 Prague crew leaves Prague for France this week to produce a report. Miroslav Bobek, African Odyssey project coordinator Note: For additional info, search the Internet: African Odyssey website at http://capi.internet.cz, Zdenek VelφÜek comments at http://capi.internet.cz/zpravy.dne/velisek.htm and LPO site at http://www.pact.fr/lpo-anjou/ACTU/LOICHAS.HTM.       In the project, African Odyssey, we follow the life and long journeys of Black Storks (Ciconia nigra), with participation of the Czech Radio 2 - PRAGUE and its listeners. There were few initial impulses to start this extensive project in 1994. The most important of them are listed in the keynotes below, and are still valid. there is only a brief information about annual migration of birds to Africa, especially for the Black Stork migrating birds, protected in Europe, travel away half their lives - and their protection on wintering grounds is also necessary, but first we have to know more about ways they use and places where they fly we would like to approximate one of the most interesting natural phenomenon to Czech Radio listeners: to familiarize them with the nature protection ideas, the possibilities of modern technologies and to bring them information about culturally and geographically distant countries we would like to show that there is a possibility to realize difficult non-commercial projects under the conditions of changing economy       One of the supporting pillars of the whole project is the application of the most progressive technologies. We have a possibility to gain particular data about the whole migration route between breeding and wintering grounds with the help of satellite transmitters (PTT - Platform Transmitter Terminal), which are attached like a "backpack" to the stork's back.       A quick new data processing had been developed only one year before the African Odyssey began. This technical innovation enables us to get information about a location of transmitter anywhere on the Earth's surface within twenty minutes under optimal condition. Owing to this innovation, (in combination with conventional telemetry and by improvement of the satellite systems Inmarsat M and GPS) we could, as the first scientists at all during history of bird migration studies, follow literally "step by step" one of our storks during its whole migration pilgrimage from the central Europe to the west Africa.       Wide publicity is characteristic for the project African Odyssey. Regular information about the course of stork's migration is brought not only by Czech Radio 2 -PRAGUE, but also by lot's of other media. Moreover, Czech Radio 2 - PRAGUE became an organiser of scientific expeditions to Africa, from which live shots and reportages were broadcasted several times a week.       Scientific data obtained by satellite monitoring and by expeditions are gradually analysed. New findings enlarge our knowledge not only about Black Storks but also about bird migration phenomena at all. These findings also refer to the world-wide connections. European nature protection of migrating birds will not be effective until dangerous sites for the migrating birds exist on their annual journey to the south and the natural environment on their winter grounds changes rapidly.       A total of eleven Black Storks equipped by "backpacks" went on their journey to winter habitat between the years 1995 and 1998, one of them had been observed repeatedly for two years (female Zuzana) and next female Kristyna even for the fourth time in a roll. In the beginning of the first survey season (1995/96), three black storks were equipped with the communication set. They were female stork Kristyna (the first black stork carrying a satellite transmitter EVER), female stork Zuzana, and male stork named Viktor. All the birds reached their winter habitat sites successfully, each of them choosing a different way/strategy and the winter habitat itself. Kristyna chose the "western route" over the Strait of Gibraltar, she spent the winter in eastern Senegal. On the contrary, Zuzana and Viktor flew along the "eastern route". Then, Zuzana spent the winter in Ethiopia, while Viktor resided in Chad first and then he moved to Central African Republic. Kristyna was followed on her way by the Czech Radio 2 - PRAHA expedition crew. After her winter habitat was explored, the four people crew turned to follow Viktor in eastern Chad. In spring 1996 all the birds returned to central Bohemia for their nesting season.       During next season (1996/97), three black storks got on their way, they were Kristyna, Zuzana, and a new male stork named Oskar. Kristyna reached the same winter habitat, although she chose a lightly different trace. Again, Zuzana spent the winter close to the place she resided a year ago. A new expedition left Prague to explore her winter habitat. Unfortunately, the crew found Zuzana dead (she got killed by local vandals); then, the expedition continued exploring black stork winter habitats. Oscar spent most of the winter time in the very eastern part of Central African Republic. In spring, only Kristyna returned to Bohemia. This time, her way back to Central Europe was successfully traced, too; Oskar's life ended tragically in central Egypt.       In the third survey season (1997/98), four black storks left Bohemia for their winter habitat. Again, Kristyna was there (she became the world's record holder - migrant bird followed for the longest period of time) together with her nest-mate Jakub, female named Tereza, and male named Martin. Kristyna flew to the same destination as she did before - she spent the winter time near Khossanto (Senegal) while her "husband" stork Jakub reached Nigeria along eastern route (there, his satellite transmitter broke down). Martin used western route just like Kristyna did and he spent the winter time in Niger river basin in Mali. Tereza died in October in the Antiatlas mountain range in southern Morocco. Thus, only two storks returned to central Bohemia next year: Kristyna and Martin.       Kristyna found a new partner for nesting season. They built a nest in the Brdy hills close to the site she had resided previously. The nest was literally open to public, as from May 21 to August 15, an image recording of the nest was transmitted LIVE on the Internet. The stork parents took care of 4 babies (3 of them survived long enough to leave the nest). Later on, the babies' DNA was subjected to an analysis. Thus, they were proved to be males. The babies were named Ondrej, Hynek, and Jonas. Just like Kristyna and David, the babies received their own satellite sets. With the fourth survey season (1998/99), the plan was originally to follow migration of the entire black stork family. However, Ondrej's satellite transmitter failed to work in August, Hynek was shot to death in south-western France, and Jonas got intoxicated in western Bohemia. As it was necessary to capture him, he was cured, taken to southern Spain on board of an airplane and loosed free. Both parent storks left the nesting site together and flew to eastern France. Kristyna then flew further to her usual winter habitat in eastern Senegal; David spent the winter time in southern Spain. Miroslav Bobek, FrantiÜek Pojer This text was last updated on the 29th of January 1999.