Nature

Pentowo – the European Stork Village

On the western outskirts of Tykocin, by the backwaters of the Narew, lies a settlement that owes its fame to birds: Pentowo is the European Stork Village, the only place in Poland holding this title, awarded in 2001 by the international foundation Euronatur as the seventh in Europe. In summer more than 30 occupied nests host storks here, with the number of birds reaching around 100 individuals.

The story of this place began with a disaster. The hurricane of 1991 broke the trees and stripped them of branches, and Pentowo lies exactly on the storks' migration route between Africa and Poland. The birds settled on the broken trunks at speed, then on roofs and poles. Ornithologists installed additional platforms, and dead trees are deliberately left standing, as storks prefer to nest high.

How to watch the storks

Two viewing towers stand on site: one for watching the birds at their nests, the other for observing feeding grounds along the Narew. A trail with stork figurines starts at the free car park, with signs explaining, for example, that a nest can weigh several tonnes and that storks pair up only for the breeding season. The birds arrive around May and stay until August.

Practical information

The address is Kolonia Kaczorowo 39, a few kilometres from Tykocin. Entry is paid in season, and by the early 20th-century manor house operates a horse farm offering rides. Nearby, see the castle and synagogue in Tykocin (2 km) and Narew National Park.