Everything You Need To Know About The Stork

What is a stork?

The stork is one of 20 species of large, long-necked birds that make up the stork family (Ciconiidae), which belongs to the order Ciconiiformes, which also includes the bird called heron, and the greater flamingo. Which is known as flamingo.

The morphological characteristics of the stork

The length of the stork ranges from 60 to 150 cm or more. The bird’s head and upper neck are completely or partially devoid of feathers, and they have bright colors. The stork has long, thin legs, a long neck, a long, sharp beak, and beautiful, shiny feathers. Storks are distinguished by They are voiceless birds, due to the lack of a fully developed syrinx (a tube found in the birds’ vocal organ that produces sounds) in their bodies. However, some storks ring their beaks loudly when they feel excited, and these birds fly in a flapping and soaring manner, alternating with extending their necks. And her legs.

Where does the stork live?

White storks are found mainly in Asia, Africa, and Europe, while the black stork is found in Australia (one of the types of storks and is distinguished by its black color). The stork is famous for making large nests in which it lives and reproduces, and it also uses the same nest for many years.

What is the original habitat of the stork?

Different species of storks are found in a variety of habitats. White storks live most often in wetlands, in swamps, and near fresh and shallow water sources. Some live in flooded agricultural fields, and as winter migratory birds They migrate all the way from Europe to Africa, then return to their original habitats in the spring.

There are about 19 different species of storks; These include the white stork, the black stork, the yellow-billed stork, the wood stork, and others.

Stork lifestyle

The stork can live alone or as an individual within a group of birds, as some species of storks; Like wood storks, they prefer to live in groups, while black-necked storks (Ephippiorhynchus) and some species of Ciconia birds live alone, and storks are monogamous; That is, they are satisfied with only one partner during the mating season.

How long does a stork live?

The average lifespan of a stork ranges between 22 and 40 years, depending on the type of stork, and therefore storks are considered to have a relatively long lifespan.

Stork food

Storks eat a variety of foods, and they are considered carnivorous birds, which means that meat constitutes the largest part of their diet, and it is one of the favorite prey of storks. Fish, small mammals, invertebrates, insects, reptiles, and amphibians, while many species feed on anything they can catch, as some types of storks specialize in hunting specific prey. For example, the African openbills prey mostly on Snails and snails that he carefully extracts from their hard shell. These types of storks are so specialized that their saliva contains special toxins to relax the snail and make it easier to pull it out of its shell.

Stork breeding

Many stork species breed in colonies with other waterfowl; Including other types of storks, and some different birds, such as; herons, egrets, pelicans, cormorants, and ibises, where white storks, oriental storks, and Majori storks breed; In nests located within the group of other birds of the same species without any relation to each other.

During the breeding and mating season, storks build their own nest, which consists of a large number of large, carefully arranged branches. Both the male and female participate in building the nest. It is built in trees, on the edges of rocks, or on the roofs of houses and chimneys. The stork lays 3 to 6 chalky white eggs, which are cared for by both parents and hatch in about 5 weeks.

The stork in tales and legends

Many stories and novels revolve around the stork, as is the case in Aesop’s Fables (sixth century BC), where the first story begins with a farmer plowing his fields, planting his seeds, and spreading his nets. These nets collided with many cranes that jumped behind him to catch the seeds, and in addition to… Cranes stuck in his net. The farmer discovered a stork with a broken leg. Then the stork began begging the farmer to save his life, arguing that it was not a crane, but a stork. Then he pointed to its feathers and told the farmer that it did not resemble the feathers of a crane in the least. The farmer laughed. On the stork he said: “I have taken you with these thieving cranes and you must die with them.” A common myth about storks is that they protect children and deliver them to their mothers.