202 years ago today, this stork was shot in the village of Klütz in northern Germany. It already had a 30-inch arrow in its neck. The arrow was made of African wood, and this first ‘Pfeilstorch’ (‘arrow stork’) played a pivotal role in the understanding of bird migration. - ThreadSky

levparikian.bsky.social • 376 days ago

202 years ago today, this stork was shot in the village of Klütz in northern Germany. It already had a 30-inch arrow in its neck. The arrow was made of African wood, and this first ‘Pfeilstorch’ (‘arrow stork’) played a pivotal role in the understanding of bird migration.

Comments

alfiegallagher.bsky.social•376 days ago

Poor bastard

jennytpgrows.bsky.social•376 days ago

Wow! 👀

analdank.bsky.social•376 days ago

So like, it got shot in Africa, flew to Germany and got shot again? Was the stork’s name Tsutomu Yamaguchi?

coldsoresteve.bsky.social•376 days ago

Wild?!

levparikian.bsky.social•376 days ago

Livid, I should imagine.

wyliehorn.bsky.social•10 days ago

📌

levparikian.bsky.social•376 days ago

You can’t help feeling sorry for the stork. Shoot me once, shame on you. Shoot me twice… what the absolute fuck just STOP IT. I suspect the last thought that went through its brain might have echoed Agrajag’s in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: “oh no, not again”.

levparikian.bsky.social•376 days ago

Anyway, this is just an elaborate ruse to casually drop into the conversation that I wrote about the Pfeilstorch and MUCH MUCH MORE in Taking Flight, which is now out in paperback and audiobook.

levparikian.bsky.social•376 days ago

You can get it in all the usual places, some of which are here.

https://linktr.ee/levparikian/store

levparikian.bsky.social•376 days ago

It’s also currently 99p on *whispers* Kindle.

angusmain.bsky.social•376 days ago

I also feel a *tiny* bit sorry for the person who shot the arrow. A direct hit like that, and the bird just flies off to Germany with one of your best arrows. You’d never hear the end of it.

kubobukata.bsky.social•376 days ago

Maybe not the BEST arrow given that it didn't kill the bird. 😁

But! Did you know there was a second Pfeilstorch in 1935 that was captured alive, treated, ringed and released again only to be found dead two months later? (And then they stuffed it, and it got lost, and was found again in 2005!)