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Pfeilstorch (pronounced “fi-el-storsh”) is the name given to storks who’d get injured by an arrow while migrating south to Africa for the winter.
Their name is German for “arrow stork” — they’d literally return to Europe in the summer with an arrow stuck in their bodies.
Not only was this stork gangster, but it was crucial to our understanding of the migration patterns of birds.
Before then, people guessed birds either hibernated or flew to the moon — both solid guesses imo! 😅
Extra Reading: https://www.countrylife.co.uk/nature/curious-questions-stork-spear-neck-solve-mystery-migration-birds-210144