Pentowo – European Stork Village

It all started with a hurricane. In 1991 a storm snapped the trees around the old Pentowo estate on the edge of Tykocin, and white storks quickly moved onto the jagged trunks. Today more than 30 pairs nest here, on poles, roofs, trees and purpose-built platforms, and Pentowo holds the title of European Stork Village. It is one of the best places in Poland to watch storks at their nests up close.

How the storks took over the manor

Pętowo, formerly Pentowo, is now part of the town of Tykocin, lying on its sparsely built-up western outskirts along the street called Kolonia Kaczorowo. It used to be a manor farm, and the estate belonged to the Toczyłowski gentry family, whose wooden manor house still stands. The site lies on the storks' migration route between Africa and Poland, so when the hurricane stripped the trees of their branches, the birds soon began to build nests. Ornithologists decided the nearby power lines were dangerous for them and put up special platforms and poles for nesting.

The European Stork Village title

Since 1994, the EuroNatur foundation has awarded the title of European Stork Village to places that stand out for protecting white stork breeding sites. Pentowo received it in 2001 as the seventh village in Europe. Part of the area lies within the Natura 2000 network. In 2024 a record 53 chicks fledged here.

What to see

• Nests up close: on poles, on the ridges of farm buildings and in trees.
• Observation towers: the Birdingplaces website describes two; from above you get a better view of how the nests are spread out and of the open meadows around the estate.
• The Pentowo manor house: a wooden house with a porch and balcony, with a hotel, stables and souvenir shop alongside, plus an exhibition.

Tripto tip

• When to go: spring and summer are best, when the young are learning to fly. Outside the breeding season the nests are empty.
• Time needed: 40 minutes to an hour is enough for a walk around, a little longer with the tower and stables.
• Tickets and parking: there is a car park next to the manor. Watching the storks requires a ticket; in 2021 it cost about EUR 2, so check the current price on site.
• Getting there: easiest by car or bike from Tykocin, following signs to the Stork Village (Wieś Bociania).

Bring binoculars or a camera with a longer lens. Afterwards, head back to Tykocin for its castle and synagogue, a few minutes' drive away.