Authorities in the Czech Republic have recorded the first same-sex couple among white storks after two female individuals were spotted caring for their chicks together.

First-Ever Lesbian Stork Couple In The Czech Republic Caught Caring For Each Other's Eggs pic.twitter.com/dhJhJLEw21

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The odd couple have made international headlines after they were spotted nesting together on a chimney in the town of Chynov, in the South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic, on 19th March.

Experts said that this was the country’s first-ever recorded case of a same-sex pair among the migratory species.

Ornithologist Michael Strnad who has been monitoring the pair with a live webcam said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “One of the females is also ringed, so we know it’s the one that gave birth to three chicks here last year.”

The same female – according to Strand – was then joined by another stork lady.

Researchers realised the two were in fact females after they began taking turns in laying a record of eight eggs – as each white stork female can lay only one clutch of four eggs a year.

But since there were no males in sight, ornithologists suspected the eggs could be unfertilised until the first chick hatched about two months later on 23rd May.

Two other chicks reportedly hatched afterwards.

Head of the Czech Ornithological Society Jiri Vermouzek Czech said: “We know that in the case of white stork, the mating usually takes place in the nest, so the fertilisation remains something of a mystery.

“So it must have taken place somewhere outside the nest and we don’t have any record of it.

“What happened to the stork father and why the two females decided to create a couple is shrouded in mystery.

“Very probably, there was a lack of adequate males for the original female and so she decided to accept the other female as her partner.”

Vermouzek added that one of the three chicks died soon after having hatched, while the five remaining eggs seem to have not been fertilised.

But he pointed out that the two mums have been exceptional in sharing their nest duties.

The expert said: “We plan to run some genetic analyses to ascertain the maternity and paternity of the chicks.

“But since some of the eggs have not hatched, it is likely that only one of the females is the mother.”

Vermouzek added that another unusual stork pair – made of a white and a black stork – were seen in the town of Horni Cerekev, Czech Republic in mid-April.

However, uncommon similar cases have already been observed in the past, emphasised Vermouzek.

He said: “This year, a similar case was recorded in Germany. Generally, we can say that such behaviour is being driven by human activity.

“In this case, it was probably caused by the destruction of the black stork’s nest somewhere in the vicinity, because of the bark beetle calamity.

“The black stork then tried to find some breeding platform nearby, found a white stork nest and mated with the female.

“Both species of storks have a very strong attachment to their nesting grounds. Even white storks, which nest together for many years, are more loyal to the nest than to their partner.”

Explaining that his team have noticed reactions from the public regarding whether such nestings are against nature, Vermouzek added: “Such unusual nestings are rare, so we don’t consider them the norm.

“But they do occur in nature, so it is hard to argue that they are against nature.

“And we can no longer apply the standards of human morality to animals and birds.

“Nature surprises us with something all the time, and sometimes in such a way that it is beyond belief.

“Therefore, let us observe nature with great humility, a number of phenomena can occur purely by chance, or we do not know the cause or purpose at all – just like with people.”