Frequently asked questions

What exactly is Adopt A Stork?

Adopt A Stork is a thoughtful newborn gift that connects a little one to the natural world. For a one-off payment you create a personalised keepsake card and choose a real white stork from a scientific tracking study. The gift links to a private page where the family can follow that stork’s recorded journey, season after season.

It is a symbolic connection, not a legal animal adoption. You do not receive any ownership rights over a bird, and no bird is captured, handled, or disturbed as part of your purchase. Your gift supports the running of Adopt A Stork and our work bringing these stories, and the wild places behind them, closer to families.

What does the gift include?

Every gift includes three things:

• A personalised digital keepsake card with the child’s name, your own message, and the name of their stork.
• A private link to their stork’s journey, with real tracking data shown honestly on a map.
• The choice to add a physical version of the card, printed and posted to a door somewhere.

There is no fixed price and no subscription. You pay what you want, once, and what you give helps the storks. The gift is theirs to keep.

Is the stork real?

Yes. Every stork is a real, individually identified white stork (Ciconia ciconia) from a peer-reviewed scientific tracking study, the “LifeTrack White Stork SW Germany” study on Movebank. Each one has a unique transmitter identifier and a real history of recorded positions.

We do not invent locations, names, or stories. If a particular bird’s data is unavailable at a given moment, we say so plainly rather than showing anything made up.

Is this a donation to a charity?

Adopt A Stork is a gift, not a registered charitable donation. Unless your purchase page or receipt explicitly says otherwise, you are buying a personalised keepsake and access to a real stork’s journey, and the payment is not tax-deductible.

We support stork conservation and describe our work honestly. Any specific conservation partnerships or percentages will be stated clearly where they apply. We will never invent impact figures.

Where does the tracking data come from?

The positions come from the public data of the “LifeTrack White Stork SW Germany” study, a long-running research programme published on Movebank, the leading repository for animal movement data. Each point is a position recorded by a GPS transmitter attached to a specific bird by researchers, before the bird’s release back into the wild.

How often does the map update?

Our map refreshes periodically and shows the most recent positions available in the study’s public feed. White storks migrate vast distances, and data may be recorded in bursts: a dense cluster during a busy week, then quiet periods during a long journey. Every point is shown with the timestamp at which it was actually recorded, so you always know when the bird was there.

Is the tracking live, right now?

Not always, and we will not pretend otherwise. Tracking is subject to battery life, transmitter range, the availability of the public feed, and the bird’s own movements. Some points may be recent; others may be historical. We show the recorded timestamp with every position and clearly label periods when a feed is unavailable. A location is a record of where a bird was, not a promise of where it is right now.

What happens if my stork’s data stops?

Birds are wild, and wild things are not on a schedule. A transmitter can stop transmitting, a bird can move beyond range, or data access can be restricted. If a feed becomes unavailable, we keep the last recorded positions, with their honest timestamps, and tell you clearly that no newer data is available. We will never fill the gap with invented coordinates.

Can I choose a specific stork?

Yes. You can browse the full list of storks in the study, ninety-two individually named birds, and choose the one that feels right. If you cannot decide, pick one that simply sounds right to you; every bird in the study has a genuine journey to follow.

Can I change my stork after ordering?

The stork is part of your keepsake, so it is chosen at the time of ordering. If you change your mind shortly after purchase, contact us and we will do our best to help before the gift is finalised.

What can I write on the card?

You personalise three things:

• The child’s name, up to 60 characters.
• Your message, up to 400 characters.
• The sender’s name, up to 100 characters.

The message should be your own words. We reserve the right not to print content that is unlawful, harmful, or abusive. See our Terms of Service.

The baby’s name isn’t chosen yet. Can I still order?

Absolutely. Many gifts are given before a name is announced. Use a gentle placeholder such as “Little one” or the family name, and the card will read beautifully either way.

I made a spelling mistake. Can I fix it?

Contact us as soon as possible with your order reference. Digital cards can usually be corrected quickly. Printed cards enter production shortly after payment, so the sooner you reach out, the better our chances of catching it before printing.

Will my message appear exactly as I typed it?

Yes. Line breaks are preserved. We show you a live preview while you type, and the final card matches that preview. Please check names carefully before paying; small errors are the most common reason for corrections.

How much does it cost?

You choose. There is no fixed price. Pay whatever feels right for you, and every gift helps the storks and our conservation work.

A printed and posted card is separate and charged at the cost of print and postage, which depends on where it is being sent. You always see the total in euros before you pay, and there are no subscriptions or recurring charges.

How do I pay?

Payment is handled by Stripe, a globally trusted payment provider, entirely in euros. You can pay with the cards and methods Stripe supports. We never see or store your full card number. Card details go directly to Stripe over an encrypted connection.

Is my payment secure?

Yes. Checkout runs over HTTPS and card details are processed by Stripe, which is certified to the highest industry security standards (PCI DSS Level 1). We do not store your payment card details on our servers.

Will I get a receipt?

Stripe provides a payment confirmation, and your confirmation page acts as your receipt. If you need a more formal invoice, contact us with your order reference and we will provide one.

How do I receive the digital gift?

Immediately after payment you receive a private link to the keepsake. You can forward that link, write it in a card, or tuck it into a present. It is also a page you can print yourself at home, in full colour, for a lovely physical keepsake at no extra cost.

How does the printed card work?

When you choose printed delivery, your card is produced by our print-on-demand partner and posted to the address you provide. It costs the price of print and postage, which depends on where it is going. You can see the cost and the shipping estimate at checkout. For full details, including shipping countries and timelines, see our Delivery & returns page.

Do you ship to my country?

Printed gifts are available to a set list of countries, shown at checkout, covering most of Europe as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and others. Digital gifts are available everywhere.

Can I cancel my order?

Digital gifts are delivered immediately, so they cannot be cancelled after you have opened the keepsake. Printed gifts can be cancelled before they enter production. Contact us as quickly as possible. Full details, including your legal right of withdrawal, are in our Terms of Service and Delivery & returns pages.

What if my printed card arrives damaged?

Tell us within a reasonable time of receipt, with a photo if you can, and we will arrange a free replacement. We want the keepsake to be beautiful when it arrives, and we will make it right if it is not.

Can I get a refund?

Refunds are handled case by case and in line with your statutory rights. Because digital gifts are delivered immediately and printed gifts are personalised to your wording, some purchases are excluded from the standard withdrawal right. We explain exactly when in our Terms of Service. Contact us and we will be straightforward with you.

What data do you collect about me?

We collect only what is needed to create and deliver your gift: the names and message you enter, your chosen stork, and for printed gifts, your delivery name, address and email. Payment card details are handled by Stripe and never touch our servers. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy.

Is the keepsake link public?

No. The link uses a long, unguessable token and is not listed or indexed anywhere. It is your gift to share, so please share it only with people you choose. If a link ever feels compromised, contact us and we can retire it.

Do you sell my data?

No. We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We use it only to create, deliver, and support your gift, and to meet our legal obligations.

Is this a good gift for a baby shower?

Yes. It suits baby showers, new arrivals, naming days, christenings, and first birthdays. Because it is delivered as a private link, it can also be given instantly from anywhere in the world.

Can I buy more than one?

Yes. Each gift is its own keepsake with its own private link and its own chosen stork, so you can give one for each child, or one from several people to the same family.

Does the gift expire?

No. Once purchased, the keepsake link remains yours. A family can keep returning to the stork’s journey as the child grows.