洛斯巴鲁埃科斯自然纪念碑上的白鹳，西班牙卡塞雷斯 White storks at Los Barruecos Natural Monument, Caceres, Spain (© Wild Wonders of Europe/Widstrand/Minden Pictures)

洛斯巴鲁埃科斯自然纪念碑上的白鹳，西班牙卡塞雷斯 White storks at Los Barruecos Natural Monument, Caceres, Spain (© Wild Wonders of Europe/Widstrand/Minden Pictures)

Storks ready for take-off

It's migration season for white storks, shown here tending to a nest at Los Barruecos Natural Monument in Central Spain. This destination is known for large, granite boulders intermixed with sculptures created by local artists—and it's a favorite stork nesting spot. In August and September, white storks depart their nests for a 25-day trip south to their African wintering grounds, where they gather in large flocks. The species returns to Europe again nine months later—hence its unique role in folklore, giving parents a low-stress way to answer the question ‘where do babies come from?'