Impact of extreme weather on White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) rehabilitation: admissions and outcomes (2010-2025)

) is one of the most frequent patients at the Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Centre (WRBC) of Green Balkans NGO in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, with around 300 individuals admitted annually. This study analyses treatment outcomes for 158 White Storks admitted from 2010 to 2025 due to extreme weather events - storms, hailstorms, snowfalls with low temperatures and strong winds (61 cases) or wildfires causing burnt and collapsed nests (97 cases). Of these, 77 birds (49%) were successfully rehabilitated and released into the wild (only two remained permanently disabled and were transferred to other centres), while 81 cases (51%) were fatal. All birds arrived alive at the centre; those found dead on-site or during transport were excluded. Juveniles were the most vulnerable group: in fire-related cases (exclusively juveniles, as adults fled), survival was low at 32 out of 97 (33%), with peaks like 2025 (34 fatalities near Haskovo Province). Weather storm/hail/snow cases showed higher survival - 45 out of 61 (74%), peaking in 2018 (40 birds near Razgrad, 34 rehabilitated). Geographically, fires clustered in the Upper Thracian Plain (e.g. Stara Zagora, Plovdiv), linked to human factors and climate change (more frequent heatwaves and fires), while cold events prevailed in the Danubian Plain (e.g. Vidin, Ruse). These patterns reflect global warming: warmer winters prompt earlier migrant arrivals, exposing them to sudden spring frosts, while intensifying wildfires threaten flightless juveniles. Etiologically, this underscores needs for nest protection, enhanced rescue efforts and climate adaptation to conserve the species.