Migrating stork which has been hit by an arrowThe Rostocker Pfeilstorch, found in 1822, demonstrated that birds migrated rather than hibernating or changing form in winter. [1]The first and most famous Pfeilstorch was a white stork found in 1822 near the German village of Klütz, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is therefore referred to as the Rostocker Pfeilstorch. [4][5][6]This Pfeilstorch was crucial in understanding the migration of European birds. [7][8][9] The Rostocker Pfeilstorch in particular proved that birds migrate long distances to wintering grounds.