PREVIEW

A pair of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) stands in their nest with a young bird under the hot midday sun. Given the ongoing heat wave in the region, the parent birds are making more frequent trips to water sources to transport water in their crops to their young. Deliberately pouring water into the chicks· beaks protects them from the threat of heat-related death and cools them from the inside out. According to experts, such behaviors are vital for survival in extreme temperatures, as the unprotected nests are exposed to the blazing sun.