White Stork

The white stork is one of Europe's most iconic birds, with its white plumage, black wings and long orange-red bill. It nests on rooftops, chimneys and pylons, adding to its nest each year — some end up weighing several hundred kilos after decades of use. Once rare in western France, it is now well established in the Vendée, where it benefits from the prey-rich wet meadows. You can regularly see it swallowing a grass snake or an entire eel — quite a sight when the prey is still wriggling in its bill. The village of Châteauneuf alone has over thirty nests, visible from dedicated viewing points.