What type of bird is the white stork. What are storks

Appearance. The stork is considered a fairly large bird (the weight of an adult is about 4 kg), reaching a length of up to 120 cm. The length of the metatarsus is 24 cm, the beak is 22.5 cm. bird plumage). True, a black tint can be seen on the flight and long shoulder feathers. Red color is taken by the iris of the eye, beak and legs. The legs and neck are extended during the flight.

Where to meet the white stork, his family and chicks, where he flies in winter

habitats. lives White stork in the open zone of forests and steppes.

Nutrition. Small fish, along with frogs, are the main food of the stork, although sometimes he can eat snakes, lizards, various types of insects and chicks of other representatives of birds, as well as slugs, mice and ground squirrels. nesting sites. The settlements of the western part of Russia are nesting places that the white stork mainly occupies. It is worth noting that other representatives of storks could not take root in conditions of active human activity.

Location and nest building material. The stork nests in elevated areas, which can be a tree, the roof of a wooden building, or a completely dilapidated building. On a tree for nesting, areas of dry branches located low above the ground at a level of 3-5 m, or a top of an already destroyed tree well illuminated by the sun, are selected. For the nest, various thick dry branches and twigs are selected with the addition of rotten straw and hay. Good pliable material - feathers, wool, hay, straw, felt rags and paper pieces - is used to line the tray.

Nest, its shape and size. Due to the fact that storks are able to use their nests for a long time, periodically repairing and building on them, the perennial nest turns out to be large, reaching up to one and a half meters in diameter. The height is the same, however, at a freshly built nest, it is approximately 40-50 cm.

Egg laying and its features. The female white stork is able to lay from 2 to 4 eggs, more often there are four. The eggs are 7.1-7.8x5-5.7 cm in size, without a pattern (they differ from the eggs of the black stork in their yellowish shell), as a result of prolonged incubation, they lose their whiteness.

Nesting dates. In the second half of March or early April, stork couples arrive, as a result of which eggs can be laid already in May, which both male and female will incubate for 33-34 days. Only in the second half of July, chicks at the age of 54-63 days leave their nests, and by seventy days of their life they acquire complete independence. Young storks at the end of August or the first weeks of September fly to Africa for wintering.

Distribution area. The prevalence of the white stork in Russia is not wide. This species of storks occupies mainly the western end of the Russian border, moving eastward up to the regions of Pskov, Smolensk, Oryol and Kaluga region. Separately lives in the eastern part of the Transcaucasian republics, rarely - in Dagestan; the white stork is also found in the Central Asian lands, where it occupies some part of Uzbekistan. In addition, the favorite nesting areas of the white stork are southwestern Ukraine and the rest of Europe.

Man and white stork: the benefits of a bird for nature and people

Economic purpose. It is believed that the stork contributes to the extermination of locusts, when, on its rare sorties to grain fields and areas of the steppe, it begins to hunt for countless hordes of these harmful insects. On the other hand, although the stork can eat some types of snakes (for example, a completely harmless snake), nevertheless, it sometimes causes damage to the brood of agricultural birds - small chickens and ducklings, when they roam freely around the yard.

The white stork keeps many beliefs and legends about itself (also many), from time immemorial symbolizing longevity and marital fidelity (as well as). But it is worth noting that the apparent strong closeness of the stork couple is very illusory, because often the male does not neglect the new female, if he did not wait for his first darling, who was late from wintering. So there can be a big conflict between two females in the nest.

Which of the people does not come to mind the whole peculiar appearance of the stork, as soon as you hear the name of this white bird? If you think sensibly, then a very small number of representatives of birds have earned their attention from people. Since the white stork, for some reason mysterious to scientists, for some reason seeks to coexist next to a person, without moving far from the human habitat, it can be said that the natural (natural or “wild”, in human language) habitat is not typical for stork family.

Often this bird nests on the roofs of houses, large sheds, chimneys of abandoned factories, on garden or park trees. By the way, white stork nesting sites are found not only in conditions countryside, but also in large urban centers - Bukhara can serve as an example.

belong to the stork family large birds with a long, pointed beak. The hind toe of the storks is poorly developed, the front three toes are connected at the base by a small swimming membrane. The vocal cords and membranes are reduced, so storks are almost dumb birds. They have no goiter, on the wing (on the first finger of the hand) there is a claw. In flight, stretch the neck forward.

This family includes 17 species of birds, united in 9 genera, distributed on all continents, but in North America they inhabit only the very south of the mainland. Most species live in the hot countries of the Eastern Hemisphere. There are 27 known fossil species of storks.

White stork(Ciconia ciconia) is a large bird, on high legs, with a long neck and a long beak. Its weight is 3.5-4 kg, the wing length is 58-61 cm. The color of the plumage is predominantly white, the ends of the wings are shiny, black. When the wings are folded, it seems that the entire back of the bird's body is black, hence its Ukrainian name is chernoguz. Beak and legs are red. The bare skin around the eyes and the front of the chin are black. Females are slightly smaller than males and do not differ in coloration.

The white stork breeds in Europe north to southern Sweden and Leningrad, east to Smolensk, Bryansk and Orel, in Northwest Africa, in Asia Minor to Western Iran, in Transcaucasia, in Central Asia (eastern parts of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan). In addition, the white stork nests in the east of Asia, in the Amur and Primorye, south to Korea, and on the islands of Japan. White storks winter in Africa, south of the Sahara and in the southern part of the UAR, in Pakistan, India and Indochina, in Korea and in the southern part of the Japanese islands.

White storks are monogamous birds. The same pair of storks can nest in the nest they built for several years in a row.

The spring arrival of white storks occurs quite quickly. According to the observations of D.N. Kaigorodov, these birds occupy the nesting area in the European part of the USSR for 17 days, usually from March 23 to April 9. However, there are later and more early dates arrival. Males arrive earlier than females. According to European authors, the white stork, returning from African wintering, flies an average of 200 km per day.

For the first time, storks start nesting at the age of three (more than half of the nesting birds), but some begin to breed later, sometimes even at the age of 6 years. A small number of birds start breeding as early as 2 years of age.

After arrival, white storks settle down, as a rule, in a low-lying landscape, where there are vast wet meadows, swamps and stagnant reservoirs. They arrange nests on the roofs of houses, in trees located in villages or close to them. Lately storks also make nests on the supports of high-voltage lines, on factory chimneys. If there are few places suitable for nesting, fights arise between birds.

Stork nests are bulky, usually have a diameter of at least a meter, and if an old nest is occupied, which is renovated and completed by storks, then the diameter can reach one and a half meters. The construction of a new nest takes about 8 days. It is built by both members of the couple. Occasionally, white storks build a second nest, which serves them for sleeping or as a guard post. Nests are also made by young, not yet nesting birds.

Sometimes charred rods, pieces of half-burnt branches or chips are found in the nests of storks, apparently picked up by birds at the place of a fire in a meadow or on a river bank. If the firebrand is not completely extinguished, the fire can be fanned by the wind, and in this way the stork “sets fire” to its nest. A similar case is described, for example, by A. V. Fedosov for Sevsk (Bryansk region). When the nest of storks, located at the very top of the roof of one bell tower, suddenly began to smoke, both adult birds began to drop down the burning rods and branches. The situation was saved only by the fire brigade arriving on time. Such cases probably served as the basis for the legend that storks, if the owner of the house destroys their nest, bring a burning firebrand in their beak and set fire to the house of the inhospitable owner.

In a full clutch there are from 2 to 5 eggs, most often 4-5, but sometimes storks incubate only 1 egg, rarely 7 eggs in a clutch. Apparently, the feeding conditions of the year influence the number of eggs in a clutch. In addition, young, first-time breeding birds lay fewer eggs than older ones. Eggs are white with a slight sheen.

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Their size is as follows: the long axis is on average 73.8 mm, the short one is 53.8 mm.

Eggs are not laid daily, but at intervals of 2 and sometimes even 3 days. Birds begin to incubate usually after laying the second egg. Both parents incubate for 33-34 days. The hatched chicks are helpless, but sighted, covered with white fluff. They sit in the nest for 54-55 days, and after leaving the nest, their parents feed them for another 14-18 days. Chicks become independent at the age of about 70 days.

Shortly before departure, white storks gather in small groups, sometimes in flocks; on wintering grounds, they sometimes stay in thousands of flocks. Departure begins in late August - September, sometimes delayed until October. Birds fly during the day and at high altitude, often resorting to soaring flight. They move south about two times slower than they flew in the spring. Individual birds sometimes remain in their nesting area for the winter, for example, in Denmark.

European storks have two main routes of autumn migration. Birds nesting west of the Elbe migrate to the Iberian Peninsula, cross the Strait of Gibraltar and then settle for the winter in western Africa in the steppe belt between the Sahara and the tropical rainforest region. About 4 thousand birds of Central European origin winter in this area, about 110 thousand from the Iberian Peninsula, 140 thousand storks from Morocco and about 50 thousand birds from Algeria and Tunisia. Approximately one third of the birds wintering in West Africa (nesting in Tunisia and eastern Algeria) fly directly south across the middle Sahara for wintering, while others, including European storks, fly through Morocco and the western parts of the Sahara.

Oriental storks, that is, nesting in Europe east of the Elbe, are drawn to the Bosphorus in autumn, fly through Asia Minor and Palestine, then along the Nile Valley to Sudan and settle for wintering along a significant stretch of East Africa between southern Sudan and the Republic of South Africa. A small number of storks settle a little earlier: they can winter in Ethiopia and very few in South Arabia. Very many young storks stay for the summer in the area of ​​African wintering or linger on the spring migration 2000-3000 km from their homeland. Adult birds lingering on wintering grounds in South Africa may sometimes nest there. A small branch branches off the eastern flyway further east. By the northern shores of the Persian Gulf, it brings birds to northern India.

White storks make flights, using mainly soaring flight, and fly in a narrow front, choosing the most aerodynamically favorable terrain. Naturally, storks avoid flying over the sea.

White storks feed on animal food, eating frogs, lizards, various insects, molluscs, fish and small mammals: mice, voles, small hares and speckled ground squirrels. On occasion, they can grab a small bird or chick. When feeding, storks walk slowly, but, noticing the prey, they can quickly run up to it.

White storks sometimes produce a kind of "cleansing their ranks" in the fall. They slaughter weak birds to death. Apparently, this circumstance served as the basis for stories about the presence of “courts” among white storks, which end with the death penalty of the “guilty” bird.

The life expectancy of a white stork is approximately 20-21 years. In one zoo in the UAR, a tame stork lived to be 24 years old.

It is noted that for last years in Western Europe, in places there is a decrease in the number of white storks. So, they completely or almost completely disappeared in Switzerland. In this regard, the number of these birds was counted. A census of the number of white storks in the Soviet Union, carried out in 1958, made it possible to establish the presence in our country of 26,103 residential nests. This is probably an underestimate, but it still gives a good idea of ​​how many white storks we have nesting. There are very few storks in the Far Eastern part of the range. There it is apparently an endangered bird that deserves especially careful protection.

Black stork(C. nigra) is somewhat smaller than white: its wing length is on average 54 cm, weight is about 3 kg.

The plumage of this bird is predominantly black with a greenish and copper-red metallic sheen, the ventral side of the body is white. The beak, legs, throat, unfeathered spot on the bridle and around the eyes are bright red.

This stork is widely distributed. It breeds in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and then from Germany and the Balkan Peninsula to the east to the shores of the Sea of ​​Japan and Sakhalin. To the north, its nesting area extends to Leningrad, Tomsk and the Aldan basin. In the south, it is found to the shores of the Persian Gulf. In the south of the steppe part of the USSR and in the deserts of Central Asia, this bird is absent. Black storks winter in Africa, south of the Sahara (however, relatively few birds cross the equator), as well as in the Ganges basin and in southeast China.

The black stork is a forest bird. A prerequisite for its nesting is a combination of old forests or at least groups of old trees with hard-to-reach swamps of a diverse nature, open banks of rivers and lakes.

In most of its range, the black stork nests in sparsely populated areas that are difficult for humans to access.

Like all ankles, the black stork is a monogamous bird; it starts breeding at the age of three. Soon after the arrival, which happens in late March - early April, the pair proceeds to build a nest, building it on tall, spreading trees, but usually not on the top, but on the side branches, 1.5-2 m from the trunk. Black storks do not form colonies. Their nests are usually located no closer than 6 km from one another, only in Eastern Transcaucasia they are located at a distance of only 1 km, and sometimes there are two residential nests on one tree. Nests are also arranged in rock niches and along high cliffs. The same nest serves black storks for a number of years. Thus, in Belovezhskaya Pushcha there is a known nest where black storks have bred their chicks for 14 consecutive years.

The nest is built from branches, sometimes so thick that the bird can hardly cope with them. With the help of sod, earth and clay, these branches stick together with each other. Compared to the nest of the white stork, the nest of the black one is neater and more skillful, it has a more or less regular hemispherical shape.

A full clutch of a black stork consists of 4 eggs, but sometimes more - up to 6 eggs, sometimes there are 2 or 3 eggs in a clutch. Eggs are laid with an interval of two days, and birds begin to incubate about a day after laying the first egg. Both male and female incubate. The duration of incubation in most cases is 35-46 days, but sometimes the chicks begin to hatch after 30 days of incubation. Often there are one or two unfertilized eggs (talkers) in the clutch, so there are usually fewer chicks in the nest than there were eggs.

The chicks hatch covered with thick white or slightly grayish down. Their beak is brightly colored, orange at the base and greenish-yellow at the end. For a long time (about 10 days), the chicks are in a lying position, then in a sitting position, and only at the age of 35-40 days they begin to stand on their feet. At the age of 50 days, already fully fledged, but still in the nest, they acquire a weight that exceeds the weight of their parents, then they lose some weight, since the parents feed them at this time less intensively. Young storks fly out of the nest at the age of 64-65 days.

Already in early August, families and small flocks of black storks begin to move south, but the flight can be delayed until late autumn.

Black storks feed on animal food. These can be fish (even up to 25 cm in size), frogs, various aquatic insects, and occasionally reptiles. Sometimes aquatic plants can also be found in the stomachs of these storks. The feeding areas of this bird are large. Storks often fly to feed at distances up to 5 km from the nest, there are cases when they had to fly even 10 km away. Parents feed their chicks 4-5 times a day, less often in rainy weather. In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, a case is known when an adult bird brought 48 frogs to its chicks at once with a total weight of 454 g.

During the flight, black storks, like white ones, constantly resort to soaring. The general appearance of a flying bird is as follows: wide wings, long legs thrown back, neck extended.

The genus belongs to the stork family stork(Anastomus), whose representatives are outwardly very similar to the white and black storks already described, but at first glance they are well distinguished from them by a more powerful beak and especially by the fact that when the beak is closed, a clearly visible gap between the mandible and mandible remains in its apical part. . Hence the name - razinya stork.

This genus includes 2 species. The Asiatic razini stork A. oscitans has white plumage with greenish-black flight and tail feathers, and a dull green beak. The Asiatic stork is smaller than all other storks. It is distributed in the south

Asia from India to South China and Thailand. It breeds in colonies, arranging nests on large bushes and trees growing near or in water. It feeds on freshwater mollusks and other invertebrates, as well as fish.

Breeds in Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina brazilian yabiru(Jabiru mycterica).

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This is a large stork. Its beak is long and slightly curved upwards at the end. The head and neck of the yabiru are not feathered and are dark bluish-black in color. The base of the neck is reddish-orange. The body is predominantly white.

The Brazilian yabiru places its huge nests on the tallest trees. It feeds on fish, frogs, worms and snails. Other species of jabiru inhabit South Asia, Australia and tropical Africa.

The species of the genus are very different in appearance from other storks. marabou(Leptoptilus). African marabou(L. crumeniferus) - large heavy bird/

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When looking at it, a large, featherless head and a huge massive beak immediately attract attention. In a calmly sitting bird, the beak usually lies on a kind of pillow, which is a fleshy protrusion of the neck not covered with feathers. The plumage color of the African marabou is white, but the back, wings and tail are dark gray, blackish. Wing length 70 cm, beak 30 cm, weight 5-6 kg.

Marabu, or, as he is often called for his "solemn", military-type gait, adjutant, is widespread in tropical Africa. Marabou arranges their huge nests on trees, for example, on baobabs, sometimes even in villages. Often nests next to pelicans, forming mixed colonies.

The marabou feeds mainly on carrion, but on occasion it eats frogs, lizards, rodents and insects, in particular locusts. Often this bird can be seen hovering in the air, looking out for prey along with vultures. The vultures gathered on the carrion treat the flying marabou with great “respect”, since the blows of the marabou’s powerful beak are dangerous even for such large birds.

Two other species of marabou (L. dubius and L. javanicus) inhabit India and the islands of Indonesia up to Kalimantan. These marabou are similar to the African, but smaller.

Animal life: in 6 volumes. - M.: Enlightenment. Under the editorship of professors N.A. Gladkov, A.V. Mikheev - (Grallatores) a detachment of birds, very diverse in appearance, distinguished by more or less long and thin wading legs (see) (only rarely the lower part of the lower leg is feathered), living along the banks of rivers, lakes and seas, in swamps and rarely in fields. ... ...

Or stork-like (Herodines s. Ciconiae) a detachment of birds, which used to be connected together with waders and shepherds into one group of ankles (see. Ankles). C. are common in all zoogeographic regions. This includes five families: 1) ibis ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

This term has other meanings, see Stork (meanings). Stork ... Wikipedia

- (Ciconiidae), a family of storks. Length 76 152 cm. The beak is long, straight or slightly curved up or down. The wings are long and wide, some A. can soar for a long time. Most species are voiceless (there are no vocal muscles of the lower larynx) and ... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

A stork is a bird that belongs to the new-palatine subclass, the stork-like (ankle-footed) order, the stork family, the stork genus (lat. Ciconia). The article describes this genus.

Other genera of birds stand out in the stork family, but they will be discussed in separate articles:

• Beaked storks (lat. Mycteria);
• Razini storks (lat. Anastomus);
• Saddle-billed yabiru (lat. Ephippiorhynchus);
• Yabiru (lat. Jabiru);
• Marabu (lat. Leptoptilos).

Where did the word "stork" come from?

The origin of the word "stork" has not been established for certain, so there are many versions of its origin. Consonant words are found in ancient Sanskrit, Old Russian, German, Slavic languages. The most plausible version of the transformation of the German word "Heister", which in some parts of Germany is the name of the magpie. Probably, the word was transformed into “gaister”, and then into “stork”. It is difficult to find an analogy between a magpie and a stork, the only feature that makes them related is the color of the plumage. It can be assumed that it underlies the name of the stork. In different regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, there are various local names for this bird: busel, butsol, busko, batan, chernoguz, leleka, toad-eater, gaister, botsyun and others. In addition, the stork is called by human names: Ivan, Gritsko, Vasil, Yasha.

Stork - description, characteristics, photo. What do storks look like?

Storks are large birds. The largest species in the genus Ciconia is the white stork. The body length of both the male and the female is 110 cm, the wingspan reaches 220 cm, and the weight is 3.6 kg. One of the smaller species, the white-bellied stork, weighs about 1 kg, and its body length is 73 cm.

The stork's beak is long, 2-3 times the length of the head, and has a conical shape. It can be straight or slightly bent towards the top (like the Far Eastern stork). At the base it is high and massive, sharp at the end, closed tightly. The tongue is smooth, sharp and small compared to the beak. The nostril fissures are very narrow, open directly into the stratum corneum, without depressions or furrows. The color of the beak in adults of most species is red. The black-billed stork is black. In young birds, the opposite is true: black-billed stork chicks have a red or orange beak, while chicks of other species have black beaks.

The iris of the eyes in different types of storks is red, brown or whitish. On the head, plumage is absent on the chin, lore, and skin around the eyes. The neck of the birds is moderately long. A characteristic position is when the neck is sharply curved back, the head is directed forward, and the beak rests among fluffy feathers. In the region of the goiter, the feathers are long, drooping.

Storks have cervical air sacs that fill with exhaled air as they are connected to the nasal chambers. These bags are small, located under the skin and lie on the sides of the neck at the base of the head. The bag system creates an air gap between the skin and muscles.

The wings of a stork are long, rounded, their top is formed by 3-5 flight feathers. The inner feathers on the wing are long. When folded, they reach the length of the primary flight feathers.

In flight, storks soar above the ground. This becomes possible due to the special articulation of the bones of the shoulder girdle and the structure of the wing with an elongated forearm and a shorter shoulder. These features are characteristic of large soaring birds, including birds of prey. On the wing on the first finger of the hand there is a claw.

The tail of storks is of moderate length, straight, slightly rounded at the top. It consists of 12 tail feathers.

The hind limbs of birds are extremely elongated. The metatarsus is almost equal in length to the lower leg. The articulation of the bones of the lower leg and metatarsus is arranged in such a way that the protrusion on the head of the lower leg bone enters the recess located on the head of the metatarsal, and a special ligament fixes this connection, preventing the bones from slipping. The result is a strong position of the outstretched leg, holding the body purely mechanically, without the work of muscles. Thanks to this, the stork, having given the body balance, can stand for hours on one leg, without getting tired at all. The structure of the legs determines some characteristic movements - slowness and springiness of the gait.

The toes of storks are relatively short. Along each is a narrow leathery rim. The front toes are connected at the base by a small leathery membrane, and the rear toe, set low, serves to support on the ground. Such a structure of the fingers indicates that it is difficult for the stork to walk in swampy places, and he gravitates towards solid ground. The lower leg is not feathered for more than a third of its length. The bare part of the lower leg and the entire metatarsus are covered with small multifaceted plates. Nails wide, rather flat, blunt.

The color of storks is not too diverse and consists of black and white. Black color can be green or metallic. The coloration of young birds differs slightly from adults. There are no differences in the coloration of males and females, as well as changes in color according to the season. Stork chicks have a grayish down, in adults the down is white or gray.

Representatives of the genus Ciconia do not have a voice, as they are deprived of the syrinx (voice organ of birds) and its muscles. Instead of screaming, the stork clicks its beak, that is, it strikes its jaws against each other. White storks (lat. Ciconia ciconia) also know how to hiss. Black storks (lat. Ciconia nigra) rarely crack their beaks: their voice is like a cough or scream. Stork chicks can croak, chirp, hiss and make throaty calls.

Molting storks

Moulting in storks occurs once a year and lasts very slowly. In any month of the year, you can find fresh and breaking feathers, both integumentary and large. In migratory storks, the feather change occurs a little faster.

Where do storks live?

The stork family (which includes yabiru, marabou, saddle-billed yabiru, razini storks and beaks) is distributed almost all over the world. The habitat of birds from the genus of storks covers Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa and South America. Different types inhabit European countries from the south of Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and from the Atlantic coast to the border with Russia. In Russia, the habitat extends throughout the country, limited to 61-63 parallels in the north. In Africa, which most researchers consider the ancestral home of storks, birds are distributed almost throughout the continent, with the exception of deserts. Storks live in South America, inhabiting the entire continent, except for the Andes mountain range. These birds live in many parts of Asia: in Western, Eastern, Southern, South-Eastern, including on the islands. In some places of this range, storks are common, and in some they are quite rare.

Where do storks winter?

A stork living in northern latitudes is migrant, which led a sedentary lifestyle until the Ice Age. Settlement occurs even now: for example, the black-billed stork, which lives in Japan, does not fly away for the winter. White-bellied storks, white-necked storks, American storks and Malayan woolly-necked storks also do not fly south, as they live in warm latitudes, where food is provided to them all year round. seasonal migrations are performed by white storks, black storks and Far Eastern storks (black-billed) living in Europe, Russia, China.

Departure of white and black storks from European and Asian territories begins very early. Whites fly away in the last third of August or early September. Black storks migrate even earlier: from mid-August, as, for example, in some parts of Eastern Europe. In other areas, for example, in the Amur region, it has been established that black storks fly away in the second decade of September: for these birds this is a rather late date. In any case, by mid-October, the nesting territories of storks are already empty.

Birds fly during the day, at high altitude, without observing a certain system. Storks fly mainly over land, reducing sea sections of the path to a minimum. This is due to the fact that ascending air currents formed over land are important for soaring flight. Storks fly through the body of water only when they see the opposite shore. By spring, the birds are returning.

Some black and white storks that have settled in southern Africa do not return to their homeland, having organized settled colonies.

Below, in the description of the species, more detailed information about where storks fly and in what countries they winter.

Storks eat exclusively animal food. Their food is varied, but mainly consists of small animals, which include:

• mammals: , voles and other mouse-like rodents, speckled ground squirrels, young, weasels, stoats. In villages, some storks may hunt and;
• little chicks;
• amphibians and reptiles: , various , ( , );
• large terrestrial insects and their larvae - and other locusts, beetles, May beetles, leaf wasps,;
• terrestrial and aquatic mollusks, crustaceans, worms;
• As for fish, some species of storks, such as white ones, rarely eat it. Black storks are much more likely to eat it. And the black-billed stork feeds exclusively on fish.

Depending on the time of year, the diet of storks changes. When shallow water bodies dry up and there are fewer amphibians, large orthopteran insects go for food. Storks swallow their prey whole. Indigestible remains (feathers, wool, scales, etc.) are regurgitated by birds in the form of pellets.

By the way, storks have a remarkable ability to eat poisonous snakes without harm to themselves. Apparently they are immune to poison.

Birds forage in open spaces: in the steppes, vast river valleys and meadows, along the banks of rivers, marshes and other well-visible places. Although storks are always in sight, they themselves can notice the danger from afar.

Storks, like all large birds, are very cautious. During flights and overnight stays, they stick together. Birds feed separately, but at the same time they do not lose contact with relatives.

How long do storks live?

The life expectancy of storks depends on the species and habitat. White storks live in nature for about 20-21 years (according to some sources, up to 33 years), in captivity this figure may be higher. Far Eastern storks in captivity lived up to 48 years. The maximum life expectancy of black storks in captivity is 31 years, while in natural conditions this figure is 18 years.

Types of storks, names and photos

The genus of storks (lat. Ciconia) includes the following species:

1. Ciconia abdimii (Lichtenstein, 1823) - white-bellied stork;
2. Ciconia boyciana (Swinhoe, 1873) - black-billed stork, Chinese stork, Far Eastern stork, Far Eastern white stork;
3. Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) - white stork:
   • Ciconia ciconia asiatica (Severtzov, 1873) – Turkestan white stork;
   • Ciconia ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) – European white stork;
4. Ciconia episcopus (Boddaert, 1783) - white-necked stork:
   • Ciconia episcopus episcopus (Boddaert, 1783);
   • Ciconia episcopus microscelis (G. R. Gray, 1848);
   • Ciconia episcopus neglecta (Finsch, 1904);
5. Ciconia nigra (Linnaeus, 1758) - black stork;
6. Ciconia maguari (Gmelin, 1789) – American stork;
7. Ciconia stormi (W. Blasius, 1896) - Malay woolly-necked stork.

Below is a description of the species.

• (lat.ciconia ciconia) lives in some parts of Europe (from southern Sweden and Denmark to France and Portugal, in the countries of Eastern Europe), in Ukraine, in Russia (from the Vologda region to Transcaucasia), in Central Asia and in northwestern Africa (from northern Morocco to northern Tunisia). In accordance with the habitat, two subspecies of white storks are distinguished: European (lat. Ciconia ciconia ciconia) and Turkestan (lat. Ciconia ciconia asiatica). The Turkestan subspecies is somewhat larger than the European subspecies, found in Central Asia and some regions of the Transcaucasus.

The body of white storks has a white color, which is reflected in the name. Only the feathers at the ends of the wings are black, and until the bird spreads them, it seems that the entire underside of the body is black. Hence the popular name of the bird - Chernoguz. The beak and legs of the stork are red. Chicks have black beaks. The bare skin near the eyes and beak is red or black. The iris is dark brown or reddish. The dimensions of the wing are 55-63 cm, the tail is 21.5-26 cm, the metatarsus is 17-23.5 cm, the beak is 14-20 cm. The length of the body can reach 1.02 m. The wingspan is 1.95-2, 05m. The white stork weighs 3.5-4.4 kg. Females are smaller than males.

White storks, which live in the western and eastern parts of Europe, fly south in different ways. Storks nesting west of the Elbe fly to the Strait of Gibraltar and overcome it at its narrowest point. Having gained altitude over Spain, they plan to Africa. There they partly remain in the west, and partly cross the Sahara, equatorial forests and stop in South Africa. Storks nesting east of the Elbe fly to the Bosporus, flying around the Mediterranean through Syria, Israel, cross the Red Sea north, Egypt, fly along the Nile Valley and further to South Africa. The Turkestan subspecies of the white stork mainly winters in India, in Ceylon, but some individuals wait out the winter in the Syrdarya region in Central Asia and in the region of the Talysh mountains in Transcaucasia.

White storks settle near human habitation, as it is convenient for them to build nests on "man-made hills". People themselves often “help” birds in construction, making a nest for a stork with their own hands or creating a foundation for it: wheels or special fortified platforms are placed on poles, trees or outbuildings, on which birds place their future nest.

• (lat.Ciconia nigra) - a species that avoids humans. Its habitat is the vast expanses of Eurasia: from Scandinavia and the Iberian Peninsula to the Far Eastern regions. The northern border of distribution reaches 61 and 63 parallels, the southern one passes through the Balkans, Crimea, Transcaucasia, Iran, Central Asia, Mongolia, and the middle part of China. The black stork winters on the African continent, in India and China. In Africa, birds fly no further than the equator. True, individuals nest in the south of the mainland, which, in all likelihood, got there during migrations and remained forever.

The color of this species of birds is dominated by black, while black plumage casts green, bronze or purple. White feathers grow only on the lower body, on the back of the chest and in the armpits. The bird's beak is slightly beveled upwards. The legs, beak and skin around the eyes are red. The iris is brown. Juveniles have white plumage, while the legs and beak of the young have a gray-green tint. The weight of a black stork does not exceed 3 kg, the body can reach a length of 1 meter. The length of the wing varies from 52 to 61 cm, the length of the metatarsus is 18-20 cm, the tail grows to 19-25 cm, and the length of the beak reaches 16-19.5 cm. The wingspan of the bird is 1.5-2 meters.

The black stork lives in dense forests, islands among swamps and in similar hard-to-reach areas. He arranges nests on the side branches of tall trees, 1.5-2 m from the trunk. They consist of branches of different thickness, glued together with earth and turf. In treeless areas and mountains, the bird chooses rocks, cliffs, etc. for housing. A pair of storks always nests separately from relatives. Nests are usually located at a distance of up to 6 km from each other. In some places, for example, in Eastern Transcaucasia, the distance between them is reduced to 1 km, and sometimes there are even 2 nests on one tree.

In the clutch there are from 3 to 5 eggs, which are somewhat smaller than those of the white stork. Storks are pubescent with white or gray fluff, and their beak is orange at the base and greenish-yellow at the end. First, the black stork cubs lie down, then they sit in the nest, and only after 35-40 days they begin to stand up. Young storks fly out of the nest 64-65 days after birth. Unlike other species, black storks can scream. They pronounce high and low sounds similar to "chi-li". Birds crack their beaks much less often and quieter than white storks.

• white-bellied stork(lat.Ciconia abdimii) - This is an African species of storks that lives from Ethiopia to South Africa.

One of the smallest storks, reaching 73 cm in length. In this case, the mass of the bird is 1 kg. The color is dominated by black, only the chest and underwings are white. The beak, unlike most species, is grey. The legs are traditionally red. Distinctive feature white-bellied stork - blue skin around the eyes during the mating season. The eyes themselves are red. Females are smaller than males. They lay 2-3 eggs.

• white-necked stork(lat.Ciconia episcopus) has 3 subspecies:
  • Ciconia episcopus episcopus lives on the peninsulas of Hindustan, Indochina and the Philippine Islands;
  • Ciconia episcopus microscelis is found in Uganda and Kenya - the countries of tropical Africa;
  • Ciconia episcopus neglecta is a resident of the island of Java and the islands lying on the border of the Asian and Australian biogeographic zones.

The body length of storks varies from 80 to 90 cm. The back of the head, neck and upper chest in birds are white and fluffy. The feathers on the underbelly and on the tail are white. The head is black on top, as if wearing a cap. The wings and upper body are black, there are reddish tints on the shoulders, and the ends of the wings are covered with a greenish tint. White-necked storks live in groups or pairs near water.

• Malayan woolly-necked stork(lat.Ciconia stormi) - a very rare species, on the verge of extinction. There are between 400 and 500 individuals in the world. The size of the bird is small: from 75 to 91 cm. The color is dominated by black. The neck is white. The stork's head is topped with a black cap. The unfeathered scalp has an orange tint, and around the eyes it is yellow. Beak and legs are red.

Malay woolly-necked storks live on some islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei. They live alone or in small groups, settle near freshwater reservoirs surrounded by forest.

• american stork(lat.Ciconia maguari) - representative of the New World. Lives in South America.

It is similar to the white stork in size and appearance. Differences: black tail, red-orange skin around the eyes, gray at the base and bluish at the end of the beak and white iris. Stork chicks are born white, darken with age, and then acquire the parent color. The body length of the bird reaches 90 cm, the wingspan is 120 cm, the stork weighs 3.5 kg. Nests are built low: in bushes, on low trees and even on the ground, but they are always surrounded by water.

• Black-billed stork (lat.ciconia boyciana) - a species that has many names: Amur stork, Chinese stork, Far Eastern or Far Eastern white stork. Previously, this species was considered a subspecies of the white stork. But, unlike the white one, the black-billed stork has a longer, noticeably sloping black beak, red legs and bridle, a red throat pouch, a whitish iris, and at the ends of some black feathers there is a silvery-gray coating.

Amur stork chicks have orange-red beaks. In young individuals, the black color is replaced by brown. In size, the bird is slightly larger than its relatives: the wing length is 62-67 cm, the beak is 19.5-26 cm, the body length is up to 1.15 m, the stork weighs up to 5.5 kg. Far Eastern storks feed exclusively on fish, such as loaches.

All bird names indicate its habitat: Far East(Amur Region, Primorye, Ussuri Territory), northern China. In addition, this species is found in Japan and Korea. Basically, black-billed storks winter in southern China, on the island of Taiwan and in the Hong Kong region. Some flocks migrate to North Korea for the winter South Korea, Japan, sometimes reaching the Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the northeastern regions of India. In Japan, birds live both in summer and winter, not flying south during the cold season. The black-billed stork does not settle near a person, preferring to nest in the forests on tall trees. Nests can be located both high and on the lower branches. They are so heavy that sometimes the branches cannot withstand the weight and break off, causing the nests to fall to the ground. There are 3-5 eggs in a clutch.

The Far Eastern stork is a rare species protected in Russia, Japan and China. It is listed in the Red Book of Russia, China and Korea, as well as in the International Red Book. In nature, there are no more than 3000 individuals.

storks, mysterious and simple birds simultaneously. A bunch of interesting facts is revealed to us by a close study of these birds. Many fairy tales and legends, poems and songs are associated with them. As the dove is universally recognized as a symbol of world peace, so the stork on the roof is a symbol of peace, harmony and rebirth in the house.

storks(lat. Ciconia) - a genus of birds from the ankle family.
Storks are characterized by long bare legs covered with mesh skin; the beak is long, straight, conical; the front fingers are interconnected by a wide swimming membrane, the fingers are short with pinkish claws; bare skin on head and neck.

Storks make nests on trees, poles, rooftops, factory chimneys. Nests are constantly being completed and over the years become so huge that they can weigh several centners.

The oldest is considered to be a nest arranged by storks on a tower in eastern Germany, which served the birds from 1549 to 1930.

A family of storks is created very simply: the male takes the first female that flies up to his nest as his wife. If the last year's girlfriend suddenly returns to the old nest, where the young female has already settled, a struggle begins between the contenders, and the male will leave the winner in the nest.

Seeing a stork on the nest, many people think that they see a female, but usually it is a male. Future parents share their duties: the male incubates the eggs during the day, and the female at night.

Interestingly, stork nests sometimes catch fire, leading to a fire in the building on which they were arranged. This fact led to the appearance of a legend about the stork's revenge on the owner who destroys the nest. But it turns out that the reason is that the birds collect branches all over the district to build their nest, and sometimes they bring charred rods from the places of burnt out fires. If suddenly the wind blows sparks on smoldering branches, the nest may ignite.

Birds lay 2 to 5 eggs in the nest. Parents incubate them in turn for 33 days.

At two months old, under the supervision of their parents, the chicks begin training flights. Already at the end of August, young storks are able to independently fly to Africa. fly to right place teenagers are helped by instinct.

Adult birds fly away for wintering to warmer climes later, in September.

Storks feed on animal food: worms, fish, insects, reptiles, small mammals. Of insects, locusts are in the first place. And on wintering in Africa, birds graze for days on end in the fields attacked by the pest. Therefore, the local population calls the storks that arrived from the north - locust eaters.

Storks are very useful birds that protect plantings from pests. So hunters, for example, made a description of the contents of the stomachs of three caught birds: 76 May beetles were found in the stomach of the first stork, 730 larvae of leaf wasps were found inside the second, and 1315 locusts were found in the third.

Therefore, in all territories where storks live, the population treats this bird very carefully, they believe that it brings happiness, prosperity and many children to the house.

In Africa and Asia, there are goiter storks (marabou, lat. Leptoptilos) with a bare neck.

Stork - very beautiful bird with which many legends are associated. These birds attract attention with their large size, bright color. There are several varieties of storks, but the most common species is the white stork.

Characteristic features appearance white storks are white in color of the feather cover (except for the black ends of the wings); red, thin, narrow beak; reddish, thin, elongated legs; thin, long neck. Males and females can be distinguished only by size (the female is somewhat smaller). The growth of an adult is approximately 1-1.2 meters, the length of the wing span is 60 cm, and the weight is 4 kg. Storks live for about twenty years. Storks have reduced vocal cords, so they are mute.

Storks are found throughout European and Asian territory. They prefer habitats near bodies of water. For wintering, these birds fly away in autumn, in large flocks to Africa or India.

Favorite food of storks: locusts, grasshoppers, toads, vipers. They can also eat small fish, birds, hares, ground squirrels.

A feature in the behavior of storks is their attachment to nests. Birds after wintering return to their nests and restore them. Thus, over the years, the diameter of the nest increases. Even the descendants of these birds often inherit the home. There is a case in history when several generations of storks inhabited the same nest for 381 years (1549 - 1930, Germany).

From the age of three, storks become sexually mature and begin to worry about building a nest. Often they choose such places for arrangement as: tree tops, roofs of houses, pipes or poles of high-voltage lines. Sometimes the weight of the nest can be up to 250 kg, diameter - up to 1.5 m, height - up to 50 cm. The main components of the nest are large branches, and the lining is wool, pieces of cloth, paper. The nest is so large that starlings and sparrows often live in it in parallel with storks.

In spring, storks lay from one to seven eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 33 days. After hatching, the storks are under guardianship in the nesting area. An interesting fact is that if there are weak and sick among the chicks, the storks throw them out of the nest. When the chick reaches 70 days, it becomes independent and flies out.