Storks, which live in the Nehil Marshes in Yüksekova district of Hakkari, feed by following tractors in the fields where grass is mowed.
In the village of Dedeler in the district, storks come to the fields in the morning and follow the tractors that cut grass, hunting grasshoppers and various insects that come out of the mowed areas.
The storks, which are not harmed by the field owners, search for food without leaving the tractors during harvesting activities. Many storks spend the summer months feeding in the area where wetlands are located.
Farmer Yücel Çakmaz told the AA correspondent that storks coming to the region in the spring are seen more frequently in the fields where grass is mowed in the summer.
Stating that the storks feed on the grasshoppers that come from behind the tractors, Çakmaz said, "When we mow the grass, they collect the grasshoppers that appear from behind the tractor. They are here all the time during the summer. They feed on grasshoppers and insects. Since we do not harm them, they come to us." he said.
Stating that there are fewer grasshoppers in clover fields and more in wetlands, Çakmaz said that approximately 20 storks are feeding in the region.
Explaining that he has a special bond with some storks that come to the same area every year, Çakmaz said, "The three storks that come here every year have now become one of us. We give them food. When we irrigate the field, we catch the small fish that come with the water and give them to the storks." he said.