Fulltofta Stork Enclosure Webcam – Sweden’s Stork Revival

The Fulltofta Stork Enclosure Webcam looks across the grassy floor of the Stork Project’s largest enclosure, on the edge of the hamlet of Fulltofta in Horby municipality, central Skane, southern Sweden. Three raised nest platforms stand in the frame, one on tall wooden legs in the middle, a low round one to the left and a wide platform in the foreground, and white storks walk between them or wait along the fence. A high net on wooden posts roofs the whole area. Past the posts, a band of reeds and scrub gives way to open wet grassland with shallow pools and a tree line on the horizon. The picture changes with the season, from the busy chick weeks of early summer to quiet autumn days with a handful of adults on the grass. A clock and the outdoor temperature sit in the top right corner of the stream.

About the Fulltofta Stork Enclosure

The enclosure belongs to Storkprojektet, the Stork Project, which the Skane branch of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsforeningen) and the regional ornithological society, Skanes Ornitologiska Forening, started together in 1989. White storks stopped breeding in Sweden in 1954, and the project’s aim is a free-living, viable population in Skane that migrates like wild storks do. Today free-living pairs breed in Skane again.

Fulltofta is the largest of the project’s enclosures, about 2,500 square meters (26,900 square feet), and it was completed in 2004. Almost 50 storks live in it. Most are Polish storks, brought over in two rounds, in 2004 and 2009. Wild storks from Poland belong to the eastern European population that reaches Africa by going around the Mediterranean, over the Bosporus and down the Nile, a journey traced on our bird migration map. In May and June the enclosure fills with 60 to 70 newly hatched chicks, and the project’s volunteers feed them by hand three times a day.

The site sits about 500 meters (0.3 miles) northwest of Fulltofta church and 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) northwest of the center of Horby. Fulltofta Naturcentrum, the visitor center for the wider Fulltofta recreation area, is 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) to the northeast.

Weather and Climate in Fulltofta

Central Skane has a mild, damp climate for a place at almost 56 degrees north. Averages from Open-Meteo’s 2015 to 2024 data for the enclosure’s grid square give January highs of about 3 C (37 F) and lows near -1 C (30 F), so nights hover around freezing for much of the winter. Spring warms slowly, with April highs near 10 C (51 F) and May highs around 16 C (60 F), which is when the first chicks of the year hatch in the enclosure.

Summer is mild, with July and August highs of 20 to 21 C (68 to 70 F) and nights around 13 C (55 F). Autumn is the wettest season. October averages about 82 millimeters (3.2 inches) of rain, and highs fall from 17 C (63 F) in September to 7 C (44 F) in November. In mid-October the grass in the enclosure was still green and the meadow beyond the fence held standing water. Daylight swings hard at this latitude: midsummer days run past 17 hours, while late December gets only about 7 hours of light.

Things to Do Near Fulltofta

The Fulltofta recreation area around the enclosure is one of the largest and most visited in Skane, run for walkers by the Skanska Landskap foundation. Most visitors start at Fulltofta Naturcentrum, which has nature exhibitions and a cafe, and set out on the marked trails. The blue-marked Magnhilds runda is the longest at 15 kilometers (9.3 miles), and shorter loops run 2 to 5 kilometers (1.2 to 3.1 miles). The Fulltofta gard nature reserve, protected since 1971, covers 1,032 hectares (2,550 acres), 587 of them open water on Ostra Ringsjon. Its grazed pastures and oak meadows hold Gaddeeken and Trekloften, two oaks about 500 years old that rank among Skane’s oldest trees. The reserve also has a bird tower, the bird-rich pond Gaddangen, a swimming area and a 1.2 kilometer (0.75 mile) accessible path along the lake.

Further afield, the old convent estate of Bosjokloster lies 5.9 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the west, and the town of Hoor is 7.6 kilometers (4.8 miles) to the northwest. Skanes Djurpark, the animal park outside Hoor, is 10.5 kilometers (6.5 miles) north. Malmo is about 49 kilometers (30 miles) to the southwest.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more storks on camera, and another view in southern Sweden, try these:

• Hungen Stork Webcam
• Madrigal de las Altas Torres Webcam
• Kristianstad Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Fulltofta Stork Enclosure located?

It is at Fulltofta in Horby municipality, Skane County, in the far south of Sweden. The enclosure lies 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) northwest of Horby, 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Fulltofta Naturcentrum and about 49 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of Malmo.

What can you see on the Fulltofta Stork Enclosure Webcam?

The camera is fixed on the grassy floor of the enclosure, with three nest platforms, the storks themselves, the net roof and its wooden posts, and a strip of reeds and wet grassland beyond the fence. It does not show Ringsjon lake, the Naturcentrum or any of the wild storks’ nests around Skane.

What is Storkprojektet in Skane?

Storkprojektet is the Stork Project, a joint effort of the Skane branch of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and Skanes Ornitologiska Forening. It began in 1989 to bring back the white stork, which had stopped breeding in Sweden in 1954, and Fulltofta is its largest enclosure.

When are there chicks at the Fulltofta stork enclosure?

May and June are the chick weeks. The enclosure then holds 60 to 70 young storks, fed by hand three times a day by the project’s volunteers, which makes it the busiest time to watch.

Why is the Fulltofta Stork Enclosure Webcam dark?

The enclosure has no lighting for the camera, so the picture turns black after dusk while the stream keeps running. It comes back on its own at first light. In late December that leaves only about 7 hours of daylight on screen, against more than 17 hours at midsummer.

Can you visit the Fulltofta stork enclosure?

Yes. Naturkartan lists it as open 24 hours a day, with parking nearby and paths suitable for strollers. Fulltofta Naturcentrum, where most walks in the area begin, is 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) away.

What is the weather like in Fulltofta?

Winters are damp, with January highs of about 3 C (37 F) and lows near -1 C (30 F). July and August highs reach 20 to 21 C (68 to 70 F), and October is usually the wettest month.

Is there a place to swim near Fulltofta?

Yes. The Fulltofta gard nature reserve has a swimming area on Ostra Ringsjon, with toilets and grills close by. The lake is not visible on the webcam, which looks only across the stork enclosure.

Source: Webbkameror