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. The wings are large, almost 64 cm in length, White color(like all the plumage of a bird). True, a black tint can be seen on the flight feathers and long shoulder feathers. The iris, beak and legs take on the red color. The legs and neck are extended during flight.
Where to meet the white stork, its family and chicks, where it flies in winter
Habitats. The white stork lives in the open zone of forests and steppes.
Nutrition. Small fish along with frogs are the stork's main food, although sometimes it can eat snakes, lizards, various types of insects and chicks of other birds, as well as slugs, mice and gophers. Nesting sites. The populated areas of the western part of Russia are nesting sites that the white stork predominantly occupies. It is worth noting that other representatives of storks were unable to take root in conditions of active human activity.
Location and material for nest construction. The stork nests in elevated areas, which can be a tree, a roof 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 the 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 rotted 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 also the same, although for a freshly built nest it is approximately 40-50 cm.
Laying eggs and its features. The female white stork is capable of laying from 2 to 4 eggs, most often there are four of them. 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 when exposed to light), and 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 will be incubated by both the male and the female for 33-34 days. Only in the second half of July do chicks at the age of 54-63 days leave their nests, and by seventy days of their life they gain complete independence. Young storks fly to Africa for the winter at the end of August or the first weeks of September.
Distribution area. The distribution of the white stork in Russia is not widespread. This species of stork occupies predominantly the western extremity of the Russian border, moving east all the way to the regions of Pskov, Smolensk, Oryol and Kaluga regions. Separately lives in the eastern part of the Transcaucasian republics, rarely in Dagestan; The white stork is also found in Central Asian lands, where it occupies some part of Uzbekistan. In addition, the white stork's favorite nesting areas are southwestern Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
Man and the white stork: the benefits of birds for nature and people
Economic purpose. It is believed that the stork contributes to the extermination of locusts when, on its rare flights 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 a brood of farm birds - small chickens and ducklings, when they roam freely around the yard.
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 pair is very illusory, because often the male does not neglect the new female if he did not wait for his first chosen one, who was late from wintering. This can create a big conflict between two females in the nest.
Which person doesn’t think of the unique appearance of a stork as soon as they hear the name of this white bird? If we think sensibly, then a very small number of bird representatives have deserved their attention from people. Since the white stork, for some reason mysterious to scientists, for some reason strives to be adjacent to a person, without moving far from human habitats, we can say that the natural (natural or “wild”, in human language) habitat is not characteristic of stork family.
This bird often makes nests on the roofs of houses, large barns, chimneys of abandoned factories, and on garden or park trees. By the way, white stork nesting sites are found not only in rural areas, but also in large urban centers - Bukhara can serve as an example of this.
Latin name- Ciconia nigra
English name- Black stork
Class- birds (Aves)
Squad- storks (Ciconiiformes)
Family- storks (Ciconiidae)
The black stork is a rare, very cautious and secretive bird. Unlike its closest relative - the white stork - it always stays away from people, settling in remote, hard-to-reach places.
Conservation status
Despite its extensive range, the black stork is certainly a rare, vulnerable species. In Russia, its numbers are steadily declining, the area of suitable nesting sites is shrinking, and total number The species in our country does not exceed 500 breeding pairs. The species is included in the Red Book of Russia and neighboring countries - Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan. There are a number of international bilateral agreements on the protection of the black stork (with Japan, Korea, India, China).
Species and man
The black stork avoids all communication with humans and is very sensitive to anxiety. Only in some areas in the south and west of its range did the species become more tolerant of humans and began to settle near settlements and forage in farmland.
Distribution and habitats
The black stork's range is very large. It is distributed from of Eastern Europe before Far East, Korea and China. Isolated nesting areas exist on the Iberian Peninsula, Turkey, Transcaucasia, Iran, the foothills of Central Asia, and Southeast Africa.
In Russia, the black stork is distributed from Baltic Sea and through the Urals along the 60-61 parallel and all of Southern Siberia to the Far East. There are separate isolated populations in Chechnya, Dagestan, and Stavropol Territory. Largest quantity black storks in Russia nest in the Primorsky Territory, and the world's largest breeding population lives in the Zvanets reserve in Belarus.
The black stork settles in dense old forests on the plains and in the foothills near reservoirs - forest lakes, rivers, swamps. It rises into the mountains to a level of 2000m.
Appearance
In size, the black stork differs little from its white relative. Its length is about 1 m, body weight up to 3 kg, wingspan - 1.5-2 m. The color is black with a strong metallic sheen (green, purple, bronze). The belly and lower part of the wings are white. The legs, unfeathered skin around the eyes and beak are red. Females and males are colored the same.
In young birds, the black color is replaced by a brownish color, without a metallic sheen; the legs, beak and bare areas of skin on the head are gray-greenish.
Lifestyle and social organization
Black stork - migrant. Its main wintering grounds are in tropical areas of Asia and Africa. Only in South Africa does an isolated resident population of this stork exist. They arrive at nesting sites in March-April, fly away in September, and do not form large aggregations during migration.
In flight, the black stork stretches its neck forward and its legs back. And he, like other species of storks, often soars freely in the air, wings spread wide. Perhaps the only opportunity to see a black stork in nature is when it hovers over the nest.
The black stork, like the white stork, rarely gives voice, but its “conversational” repertoire is much richer. In flight, it emits a loud, rather pleasant to hear, cry, and during the mating season it hisses loudly. The black stork is also characterized by coughing throat sounds and screeching sounds. But it cracks its beak, as white storks do, very rarely.
Black storks are active only during the daytime.
Nutrition and feeding behavior
It feeds mainly on fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates. It feeds in shallow water, in swamps, and in water meadows near water bodies. The feeding area of black storks is very large; they fly for food 5-10, and sometimes 15 km from the nest.
In wintering grounds it also feeds on small rodents, mollusks, large insects, and occasionally catches snakes and lizards.
Reproduction and parental behavior.
Black storks are monogamous, and their pairs remain for life, but outside the breeding season, the partners remain independent of each other.
Black storks nest in single pairs, in the forest zone on trees at a height of 10-20 m above the ground, in mountainous and treeless areas - on rock ledges. The nest is built from large branches, secured with earth or turf and lined with grass. The nest is massive, renewed every year and sometimes reaches downright gigantic sizes - up to 1-1.5 m in diameter. A pair of black storks occupies the same nest for several years (there is a known case in Belovezhskaya Pushcha- 14 years old). Sometimes the same nest is occupied by several generations of storks. However, on the nesting site of storks there are also several nests, which the pair occupies alternately. Sometimes black storks settle in the nests of large birds of prey.
The mating season begins immediately after arrival in March-April. The male usually arrives first, repairs the nest and invites the female to it. At the same time, he throws his head onto his back, fluffs up the white feathers on his tail, whistles hoarsely and knocks his beak. If a couple builds a new nest, then the male brings construction material, and the female lays down the branches and fastens them with earth. The edges of the black stork's nest are painted with white streaks of excrement, in contrast to the neater nests of large birds of prey.
The clutch of a black stork contains from 2 to 5 eggs, which the female lays at intervals of 2 days; The eggs are matte white in color. Often 1-2 eggs in a clutch are unfertilized. Both birds incubate in turn, and incubation begins with the first egg. Incubation period lasts 32-46 days.
Hatched chicks of different ages are covered with thick white or grayish down; their beak is short and bright pink. Unlike adult birds, black stork chicks are quite noisy: they croak loudly, hiss and chirp. In the first 10 days of life, the chicks can only lie helplessly in the nest, then they begin to sit and only on the 35-40th day of life are they able to stand in the nest. Parents feed them 4-5 times a day, regurgitating the food they bring. The entire feeding period lasts 63-71 days.
Young black storks become sexually mature in the 3rd year of life.
Lifespan
In nature, according to banding data, black storks live up to 18 years; in captivity, a record period of 31 years.
Life at the Zoo
There is one pair of black storks living in our zoo. In summer they can always be seen in the aviary near the bird house, and in winter they spend most of their time in indoors. In 2014 and 2015, the storks successfully bred, feeding 3 chicks each year. Adult storks incubated the clutches and fed the chicks on their own.
The diet of black storks at the zoo includes 350 g of fish, 350 g of meat, 2 mice and 5 frogs.
Appearance and behavior. One of the largest birds in our region, body length up to 100–115 cm, wingspan up to 215 cm, weight up to 4.5 kg. It has a massive body, long legs, a long, somewhat thickened (compared to herons and ibises) neck and a powerful straight and also relatively long beak. The wings are long and wide, the tail is short. In a flying or soaring bird, the flight feathers spread to the sides are clearly visible at the top of the wing, the neck and legs are straightened. Elongated feathers stand out at the bottom of the neck.
Description. Almost entirely white, only the flight feathers are black, forming a wide edging along the rear edge of the wing in a flying bird, and a black rear part of the body, or a “rump”, hiding the tail in a standing bird. The beak and legs of adults are bright red, those of chicks are black, as they grow, they first become brownish, and then, even before the chicks fly from the nest, they begin to turn red from the base to the top. Under the beak and near the eye there are areas of black bare skin, the eyes are dark brown.
In young birds, the black areas of the plumage are not shiny, but of a dull brownish hue, the white plumage also has vague darkish markings (“dirty”), the beak is reddish with a dark top. From a distance or in contrasting lighting, a flying white stork can be confused with a large predator, but it is clearly distinguished by the color of its plumage, as well as its proportions - its long neck, legs and beak. Even at a distance, it differs from herons in the shape of its head and beak, its thickened neck with elongated feathers on its front surface. From cranes - a more massive long beak and not so long legs and neck; a flying stork looks more massive than a flying crane and is colored differently.
Voice. Adult birds are not capable of producing vocal signals other than a quiet hiss; during mating displays, which males stage while standing on a large nest, they throw their heads back and knock their beaks. Chicks in the nest give soft croaking signals.
Distribution, status. The breeding range covers most of Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Winters in the Pyrenees, Africa and India. In European Russia it is distributed in the southern and western regions, the range border is in last decades gradually shifts to the east. Common in places, but generally low in abundance; It rarely forms colonial settlements from several nests. Arrives in March or April, flies away at the end of August, in the southern regions in September or October. Pre-departure flocks, sometimes consisting of dozens of birds, are typical.
Lifestyle. Inhabits open areas with groves, copses, sparse floodplain forests, and gravitates towards bodies of water. In European Russia it can be considered a synanthropic species, since it mainly nests on human buildings - houses, water towers near farms, sometimes on poles and only occasionally on trees with a broken or cut down crown, no lower than 3–5 m from the ground. Pairs usually last for several years.
Massive, reusable and clearly visible from afar nests from plant material are built by both partners, renewing and completing them every year, as a result of which old nests can have a height equal to their width, that is, 1 m or a little more. There are 1–5, very rarely 6, large off-white eggs in the clutch. Both partners incubate the clutch, the male most often during the day, and the female at night. Incubation lasts 33–34 days, newborn chicks are blind, covered with thick white down, with dark beaks and brownish-pink legs. At first, parents feed the chicks mainly with earthworms. The chicks remain in the nest for more than two months, after which they wander with their parents for some time, but fly away to wintering grounds before them, at the end of August.
Preys on a variety of small animals from large beetles and grasshoppers to voles in wet or dry meadows, fields, including those just plowed by tractors, in shallow waters along small rivers and streams in open places, in the swamps. Feeding birds stand in one place for a long time or methodically walk around the territory, sometimes far from the nest.
White stork ( Ciconia ciconia)
These amazing birds differ from others not only in their beauty, but also in their extraordinary grace. In terms of external parameters, they are similar to a heron, only larger in size.
And the stork’s nest stands out among others in its shape and size. What is so special about it? You can find out where and from what these birds build their nests by reading this article.
Beliefs about the stork
In lovingly called Bela Busel, and in Ukraine - Chernoguz or Leleka. There are no birds in the world with which so many legends, signs and beliefs are associated, and they are all quite sweet and kind.
The very first sign that comes to mind is that the stork is a bird that brings children into families. In the old days, treats were specially laid out for storks on the windows of huts for the sake of bringing children into the house. And cart wheels were installed on the roofs so that storks could make their homes there.
It was believed that a stork’s nest on the roof of a house would definitely bring happiness and peace to its owners. And the number of storks also had specific value- As many chicks as there are, so many children are expected in the family.
Both white and black storks live in nature, the former being the most common.
Stork habitats
The white stork is the national bird. The highest nesting density of this species of birds has been recorded on the territory of this state. Storks usually nest solitarily, but large colonial settlements are also found.
They live in almost all regions of Europe, including the Russian European part. They also exist in Asia (for example, in Uzbekistan).
Storks build their nests in a variety of unexpected places, even on some They are not at all afraid of people and settle on trees and roofs of houses in rural settlements.
Many village residents specially prepare places to make it easier for birds to set up nests - they install poles with circles, cut off excess branches on trees. Civilization and people do not frighten storks at all. However, birds still remain wary of humans.
General information about stork nests
This amazingly beautiful and noble bird builds a very large nest (up to 1.5 meters in diameter). The weight of such a home can reach 250 kg. Basically, the stork builds a nest on the roof of a structure built by man, or on broken tree tops near bodies of water (rivers and lakes) or swamps.
As a rule, one nest is used by storks for years. Birds always return to their old home, and the males arrive earlier and guard it until the female returns. But before hatching the chicks, the nest is again put in order and repaired, so its size increases every year. The height is usually 50 centimeters, and the old nest as a result of such reconstructions can reach a height of even 1.5 meters.
In Germany, the oldest stork nest has been used by birds for 381 years.
What is the nest made of?
Storks build nests from twigs and large branches. They line the tray with hay, old grass and straw. Sometimes old rags, wool, paper, etc. are used as lining at the bottom of the nest.
With all this, each nest is built differently. All storks have their own peculiarity in planning the construction of a cozy nest. For example, there is a difference in the construction of nests between white and black storks, about which more detailed information is presented below.
White storks
The most famous of all birds of this species is the white stork, which in Russia nests in the European part of the country. Its wintering places are Africa and India.
The height of the bird is 120 centimeters, its weight is four kilograms. Distinctive feature it lies in the fact that the stork does not have a voice, but instead knocks with half of its beak, making certain sounds that are understandable to almost all surrounding birds.
White storks are monogamous. In a repaired nest, after returning from wintering, they lay from 1 to 7 eggs, then incubate them alternately (both female and male) for about 34 days.
They prefer to settle along the banks of bodies of water: rivers, lakes, swamps. These birds swim, fly, and move surprisingly easily on land (even run after prey). The white stork reaches speeds of up to 45 km per hour in flight. During sleep, he stands on one leg, periodically changing it.
White stork nest
White stork nest ( outer side) is built from tree branches, the thickness of which reaches even several centimeters. The inside is lined with thinner and softer branches, and plant stems, turf, earth, manure, straw and hay are often found in its walls. The lower part is lined with a rather thick layer of softer material - moss, hay, leaves, dry grass, wool, etc.
You can also find a wide variety of garbage in the nest - old rags, films, papers, pieces of rope, etc.
In Russia, the oldest nests of white storks (about 35 years old) were discovered in the Tver and Kaluga regions. IN Western Europe(in Germany, Poland and Hungary) there are nests that are more than 100 years old.
Black storks
Black storks live in the mountains and forests. They prefer to nest in places inaccessible to people, and lay about 5 eggs. They are also caring parents; both the female and the male take turns incubating the eggs.
The weight of a black stork is approximately three kilograms. The legs, neck and beak are long. The wingspan reaches 2 meters. During the flight, the stork beautifully stretches its legs and neck, smoothly and slowly flaps its wings.
Unlike the white one, the black stork has a voice. Among other things, the black one, in comparison with the white one, is more thorough in designing its nest - it carefully lays out the branches, using clay and earth.
About stork chicks
After the storks have built a nest and the chicks have hatched from the hatched eggs, the real fuss begins. Parents will feed them from morning to evening. They are always busy looking for water and food for their chicks. From birth, storks feed on insects.
The food that the chicks grab on the fly is thrown into their mouths from the beaks of their parents. And the water smoothly flows into the beak of the chicks. All this happens within the first two months. The chicks feed very well and gain weight quite quickly.
Storks have a not very pleasant feature - they get rid of sick and weakened chicks.
Young birds that have become stronger and matured begin to look for food on their own, without their parents. They feed on snakes, insects, lizards, frogs, various rodents, etc.
Today in Ukraine, more and more often you can find a stork’s nest on a power pole, a slightly smaller number of them on trees, and even fewer on water towers. The smallest number of nests is on various buildings.
Stork nests are also found on rocks. For example, in Portugal in 1994, more than 2% of nests were built on them. Old dwellings are also found in ruins, on monuments, towers, on straw stacks, heaps of dry branches and manure. There are known cases of nests being detected even on the booms of construction truck cranes and on the ground.
The height of the nest depends on the height of the support. It varies from 0 (on the ground) to several tens of meters (on pipes and other structures). There is a known case of a nest being located on a hundred-meter tower in Spain. Basically, they are built at an average height of 5 to 20 m.
In many regions of Russia, nests are located on water towers, especially in the Kaluga region (73% of nests).
In Lithuania in 1994-2000, storks built a nest on an old tree in 52 percent of cases.
Stork display behavior
For mated and breeding birds the center social activity serves as a nest, where you can see their various demonstrations. An interesting fact is that outside the nest, partners tend to ignore each other.
Usually in the spring the male returns to the nest first and protects the home from other storks. A pair forms on the nest. The owner greets strangers approaching storks with a characteristic cracking of his beak, throwing back and lowering his head and spreading his wings. At the same time, he still raises his tail and puffs up the feathers on his neck.
If a female flies to the nest, the demonstrations take on a different character after a while - a welcoming ceremony takes place. At the same time, the male, puffing up his feathers and shaking his head from side to side, greets the couple. When an alien male tries to sit on the nest, the owner takes a threatening pose: he stands motionless on half-bent legs with his wings spread in different directions, his tail raised, and his head and neck stretched forward. The stork has many different displays depending on the situation at hand. Fights may also occur.
A beautiful picture (two storks in a nest) can be seen after a pair has formed. Each of the pair greets the partner flying up to the nest with current demonstrations. Often both birds in the nest show off in a “duet”, fingering each other’s feathers, mostly on the neck and head.
Conclusion
A stork on the roof is the most common sight in rural areas. Many artists and photographers capture them there.
It should be noted that not everything is so smooth in the world of storks. Often the nests are occupied by other tenants - sparrows, wagtails and starlings, who raise their offspring in the beautiful cozy nest of the owners of the roofs and harbingers of a happy and prosperous life.
Well, who hasn’t heard of such a beautiful bird as the stork? There are many legends about this bird. This bird is considered a symbol of happiness and kindness. In the old days, many villages in Holland and the Balkans could boast that they had a stork’s nest. We have only two species of storks - white and black. The article will tell you more about these beautiful creatures.
White stork
The most famous for children and adults is the white stork. It can be found in the picture in the primer, as well as in many books for preschool and school age. Namely, artists love to depict the white stork. Despite being called white, the bird's feathers are not all one color. The ends of the stork's wings are black. These birds can live both in swampy areas and near humans. They don't consider people dangerous.
Their life expectancy is 20 or 22 years.
When life cycle ends, then the weight of the birds’ nest by that time is one hundred kilograms. After the death of adult birds, their children enter into inheritance rights to the nest. As for food, storks eat mainly frogs, lizards, etc. They feed their babies with chafers or worms. They bring them water in their beaks. After just two months, the babies are able to find food for themselves. For the winter, birds fly to warmer regions. Mostly this is Africa or India.
Black stork
A rather rare bird both in our country and throughout the world is the black stork. In its own way appearance it also looks like a white stork. Its only difference is the color. Most of its plumage is painted black. Due to the fact that the bird is not often found in nature, people who monitor animals from the “red book” know almost all the habitats of this species. If some new nest appears, then science must definitely find out about it. Unlike the white stork, the black stork is more careful. He builds his nest away from the prying eyes of others. Deep forests become the very place where the stork decides to stay and live. But it’s still quite easy to find out where the bird’s place of residence is. The bird often likes to fly over its nest. Otherwise, the two types of storks are similar. They winter in the same countries, eat the same food, and also build nests according to the same principle.
Red Book for the Black Stork
As mentioned above, black storks are included in the “red book”. They are being looked after special organizations on protection environment. In countries where birds live and winter, they conduct conversations with tourists on the topic of what should not be destroyed quiet life storks, that is, you cannot throw stones at birds, make loud sounds that can scare the birds, and, even more so, you cannot hunt these beautiful and rare creatures. It is especially important to follow all these rules when the birds begin their mating season. But destroying their population is strictly prohibited at any time. Big problems await those who violate this rule.
Conclusion about storks
Storks - beautiful birds that you can look at endlessly. There's definitely something special about them. Perhaps in some ways they are similar to people. Most likely, it is precisely because they greatly value and extol their family. Since ancient times, some of these beautiful representatives of birds have decided that they can trust a person and he will not touch their nests. Over time, these wonderful birds became less and less. Only through the efforts of all the people around us is it possible to preserve and increase black and white storks. In a world where an animal, bird or any other living creature is friendly with a person, there will always be peace and tranquility. Unfortunately or to great joy, people today cannot see dinosaurs. If there were talented scientists at that time, they would still have managed to preserve at least some herbivorous dinosaur.
Surely, at the entrance to a zoo or reserve there would be a queue of those who would like to look at a strange animal that lived many centuries ago. So the task of 21st century specialists is to preserve animals from the “red book”. Let's not disturb them and just enjoy the beauty and superiority of these magnificent storks. And may they always delight us with their life, which is so necessary for us.
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