The white stork is a large and curious member of It’s family group. But unlike It’s cousin the black stork, which are almost completely black, the white stork (as you can tell by the name) is white. With only It’s wings being black.
Size
They are one of the largest species of stork with a height of around 100-125cm, a length of 100-115cm from beak to tail and then a huge wingspan of over 185cm. Although it has got such big wings, it only weighs around 2.3-4.5kg.
Location
The white stork has not got a huge distribution even though it’s population is quite large. it is usually found in most of Europe, apart from Scandinavia and Britain, Central, Southern and Eastern Africa and there are some overwintering populations in India and South-Western Asia.
Population
Because of the storks brilliant ability to adapt to basically anywhere, It’s population is massive. It has 700,000-704,000 mature individuals in it’s population which would make it Least Concern on the IUCN red list. Some of It’s main threats include: hunting and stealing of their eggs and young by predators.
Ciconiidae Family Group
The white stork is in the scientific family group of Ciconiidae (Storks). Some of the other members of this family group include: The black stork, wood stork, oriental stork, marabou stork and 16 others. The main characteristics are: having a long beak, neck, and legs and a preference to marshland or wet grassland with a few trees.
Diet
They are rather opportunistic feeders which means they will eat a wide range of prey such as: rodents, insects, reptiles, and earthworms. Earthworms form up around 30% of It’s whole diet. At certain times of food shortage they will even eat their own young to enhance the survival of their other chicks and themselves.
Predators
Because of the storks size there is no animals that would even attempt to attack an adult stork, apart from a very large crocodile. Although the adults are safe the chicks may not be. The chicks are extremely vulnerable to predators such as: hawks, genets, eagles, and monitor lizards.
Fun Facts
Did you know that the white stork is so well known and commonly seen that it is the national bird of Ukraine. There is also a myth that the white stork is the bird who brings parents their babies in a basket hanging from their own beaks as they fly.
