Busel white

The entire territory of Belarus

Stork family - Ciconiidae

In Belarus - C. c. ciconia (the subspecies inhabits the entire European part of the species' range).

Common breeding migratory and transit migratory species. The territory of Belarus is conditionally divided into 3 regions with different densities white stork nesting areas: southern and southwestern regions with high density, central – with medium density, northern and northeastern regions, where storks are common and in some places rare.

The appearance of the stork is well known: a long, straight and sharp beak, a long neck and long legs, wide wings. The plumage color is mostly white, only the flight feathers and the back of the back are black. The beak and legs of adult storks are red, but the beak of young storks is dark gray, almost black. The weight of males is 2.9-3.6 kg, females 2.9-3.1 kg. Body length (both sexes) 97-110 cm, wingspan 200-220 cm.

In the last 40 years, the white stork has flown in the second ten days of March - the first ten days of April. The timing of arrival of the white stork shifts by 2–3 days as it moves 1° latitude from the southwest to the northeast of the region. Autumn migration, on the contrary, occurs the same number of days earlier.

Inhabits open spaces mainly in flat areas, often near reservoirs or extensive swamps. Moving at a leisurely pace along a mown meadow or the shore of a reservoir, the stork looks for food. It rests on a nest or on the top of a tree. Capable of soaring flight and can circle in the sky for a long time in rising air currents. This is perhaps the only one of our birds that lacks the ability to make sounds with its vocal apparatus. This bird produces its characteristic “squeaking” due to frequent blows of the upper beak against the lower beak. Thanks to the traditional patronage of the local population, white storks in Belarus are not afraid of humans and since ancient times have nested in populated areas - villages, towns and even small towns. There are especially many stork nests in the villages of Belarusian Polesie, adjacent to open river floodplains - the favorite feeding places of this bird. Among river floodplains or near them, along country roads, on forest edges you can find nests of white storks outside settlements. These birds, as a rule, nest in separate pairs, but in the south of Belarus sometimes there are group settlements in which several pairs of storks nest in close proximity.

Males arrive first at the nesting site, females 3–4 days later. Appearing in the spring already in the last ten days of March, storks immediately occupy old nests. They are located, as a rule, in trees, but nests are often found located on the roofs of houses and barns, water towers, power line supports. Sometimes storks make nests in unusual places- for example, on hay stacks, well cranes and even on the boom of a non-working crane. They often occupy bases for nests specially arranged by people in the form of wooden frames or wheels mounted on trees. Birds usually nest in single pairs; group settlements of 4–10 or more pairs are also known.

The nest is a bulky structure made of twigs and branches mixed with bundles of hay and straw. Over the years, it becomes even more massive, as it has been in use for many years and is constantly being built up. A flat tray is usually lined with a fairly thick layer soft material, in particular straw, hay, scraps of felt, wool, old rags, scraps of paper and rope, feathers, etc. Nest height 40-115 cm, diameter 70-230 cm; tray depth 8-12 cm, diameter 35-40 cm. Construction of a new nest lasts about 8 days.

A full clutch contains from 2 to 6 (usually 4) eggs (as an exception, a clutch of 7 eggs has been recorded in Europe). Egg weight 100 g, length 73 mm (67-79 mm), width 52 mm (47-53 mm). The shell is white, yellowish when exposed to light. When incubating, it may acquire a grayish tint; granularity is relatively weakly expressed.

The bird begins laying eggs in the last ten days of April or early May. Eggs are laid at intervals of 2–3 days. There is one brood per year. The male and female incubate for 29-30 or 33-34 days. They usually begin incubation after laying the second egg. The chicks stay in the nest for quite a long time, making their first flight no earlier than on the 50th day of life (in the second half of July - early August). Before this, adults regularly bring food to the chicks, and in the first weeks of their life, one of the adult birds is constantly on the nest, guarding the brood and protecting the chicks from the sun in hot weather, and from rain in rainy weather. The chicks stay in the nest for 54–63 days. For approximately 15–17 days after departure, the parents feed the young. At the age of 70 days, young birds become independent.

An interesting, not entirely understood phenomenon is often observed in the nesting behavior of storks - the throwing out of the nest of one or two eggs or chicks. If the thrown chick is put back into the nest, storks in most cases (but not always!) throw it out again. As a rule, the weakest chick of the brood is discarded. Perhaps this behavior is associated with the difficulty of feeding the entire brood in years that are unfavorable in terms of food.

Not all pairs of storks nest. Birds first begin nesting at the age of three, some at the age of six, and a small number at the age of two.

In August, families of storks form pre-migration aggregations - flocks of 20-40, rarely up to 100 or more adult and young birds, which are found in meadows, fields, forest edges, and human settlements. By the end of August, most of these flocks have already left the territory of Belarus; in September you can see mainly small “belated” groups or single, often sick birds.

The white stork's food range is very wide: frogs, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, lizards and snakes, fish, small rodents, etc. There are known cases of storks eating small birds and even small hares. The quantitative ratios of different food items vary greatly depending on the area and season of the year.

During national accounting birds in 1995–1996 (as part of the V International White Stork Census), 11,807 breeding pairs were registered, of which 97% successfully raised chicks.

The number of white storks in Belarus at the end of the twentieth century. was estimated at 10.5–13 thousand pairs. According to the 2004 national census, about 21.5 thousand pairs of white storks (9% of the world population of the species) nested in Belarus, and 5874 nesting pairs in the Brest region. According to the latest national census (2014-2015), the number of white storks in Belarus is estimated at 22–22.5 thousand breeding pairs and already accounts for 10% of the world population.

The maximum recorded age in Europe is 39 years.

Olga Vasilevskaya, Pinsk district (Brest region)

This majestic white bird is familiar to everyone since childhood. After all, parents, answering the child’s question: “where did I come from,” say that a stork brought you.

Since ancient times, the stork was considered the guardian of the earth from evil spirits and earthly reptiles. In Ukraine, Belarus and Poland there is still a legend that explains the origin of the stork.

It says that one day God, seeing how much trouble and evil they caused people, decided to destroy them all.

To do this, he collected them all in a bag, and ordered the man to throw it into the sea, or burn it, or take it to high mountains. But the man decided to open the bag to see what was inside, and released all the reptiles.

As a punishment for curiosity, God turned man into stork bird, and doomed himself to collect snakes and... Isn’t it true that the Slavic myth about children being brought is much more convincing?

Stork appearance

The most common stork is the white one. Its long snow-white neck contrasts with its red beak.

And at the ends of the wide wings there are completely black feathers. Therefore, when the wings are folded, the entire back of the bird appears to be black. The stork's legs match the color of its beak - also red.

Females differ from males only in size, but not in plumage. White stork a little tall more than a meter, and its wingspan is 1.5-2 meters. An adult weighs about 4 kg.

In the photo there is a white stork

In addition to the white stork, there is also its antipode in nature - black stork. As the name suggests, this species is black in color.

It is slightly smaller in size than the white one. Everything else is very similar. Perhaps, only except for habitats.

In addition, the black stork is listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Kazakhstan and some others.

Black stork

Another popular, but not so pretty, species from the stork genus is marabou stork. Muslims revere him and consider him a wise bird.

Its main difference from an ordinary stork is the presence of bare skin on the head and neck, a thicker and shorter beak and a leathery sac under it.

Another noticeable difference is that it does not extend its neck in flight; it is curved like a heron’s.

Pictured is a marabou stork

Stork habitat

There are 12 species in the stork family, but in this article we will talk about the most common one - the white stork.

In Europe, its range is limited to the north by southern Sweden and Leningrad region, in the East of Smolensk, Lipetsk.

They also live in Asia. For the winter it flies to tropical Africa and India. Those living in the south live there sedentary.

Migrating storks fly to warm regions in two routes. Birds living to the west cross Gibraltar and winter in Africa between forests and the Sahara Desert.

And from the east, storks fly through Israel, reaching East Africa. Some birds settle in South Arabia and Ethiopia.

During daytime migrations, birds fly at high altitude, choosing air flows that are convenient for vaping. They try not to fly over the sea.

Young individuals often remain in warm countries for all next summer, because they don’t yet have the instinct to reproduce, and no force pulls them back to their nesting places.

The white stork chooses wetlands and low-lying meadows to live. Quite often it settles not far from a person.

Your nest stork may well twist on the roof at home or at chimney. Moreover, people do not consider this an inconvenience; on the contrary, if a stork has built a nest next to the house, this is considered a good sign. People love these birds.

Stork's nest on the roof

Lifestyle of a stork

White storks mate for life. Returning from wintering, they find their nest and devote themselves to continuing their lineage.

During this time, the couple stays apart. During the winter, white storks gather in large flocks, numbering several thousand individuals.

One of the behavioral features of storks can be called “cleaning”. If any bird gets sick, or is the weakest, it is pecked to death.

Such a cruel, at first glance, ritual is actually intended to protect the rest of the flock from disease and will not allow a weak male or female to become parents, thereby preserving the health of the entire species.

The white stork is an excellent flyer. These birds travel very long distances. And one of the secrets that helps them stay in the air for a long time is that storks can take a nap while in flight.

This has been scientifically proven by tracking migratory birds. The sensor on the chest of the storks recorded at times a weaker pulse and rare and shallow breathing.

Only his hearing sharpens at these moments to hear the short clicks that his neighbors make during the flight.

These signs tell him what position to take in flight, what direction to choose. 10-15 minutes of such sleep is enough for the bird to rest, after which it takes a place at the head of the “train”, giving way to the “sleeping cars” in the middle of the flock to others who want to rest.

Stork feeding

The white stork, which inhabits lowlands and swamps, settles there not by chance. Its main diet is the frogs living there. Their entire appearance is adapted for walking in shallow water.

Ankle legs with long fingers They hold the bird well on sticky ground. And the long beak helps to fish out all the tastiest things from the depths - frogs, shellfish, fish.

In addition to aquatic life, the stork also feeds on insects, especially large and schooling ones, such as locusts.

They can even eat dead fish. If they can catch them, they will feast on rabbits, rats, and sometimes even small birds.

During the meal, storks majestically stride along the “table”, but when they see a suitable “dish” they quickly run up and grab it with their long, strong beak.

Reproduction and lifespan of the stork

A pair of parents, having flown to the nesting site, finds their nest and repairs it after the winter.

Those nests that are used for several years become very large. The family nest can be inherited by children after the death of their parents.

The males, who arrived in March-April a little earlier than the females, wait at the nests of future mothers. The first female to mount him may become his wife until death do them part.

Or maybe not - after all, everyone wants to find a husband and not stay old maid, so females can fight for a vacant place. The male does not take part in this.

The determined pair lays 2-5 white eggs. Each parent incubates them in turn for a little over a month. The hatched chicks are white and downy and grow quite quickly.

Black stork chicks in the nest

Parents feed and water them from their long beak, sometimes watering them from it during extreme heat.

Like many birds, if there is a lack of food, the younger chicks die. Moreover, the parents themselves will push the sick person out of the nest in order to save the rest of the children.

After a month and a half, the chicks try to leave the nest and try their hand at flying. And after three years they become sexually mature, although they will nest only at the age of six years.

This is quite normal, considering that life cycle The white stork is about 20 years old.

There are many legends and myths about the white stork, even a film was made - Caliph stork, where a person took the form of this bird. The white stork has been revered by all peoples and at all times.

These feathered creatures have always amazed those around them with their amazing grace: a long flexible neck, impressive, thin legs that lift them high above the ground, a meter or more in height (although females are slightly smaller than their males).

Stork – bird, having a conical shape, a pointed, long and straight beak. The feather outfit of such winged creatures is not replete with bright colors, it is white with black additions. True, in some species the black color predominates over the white areas.

The wings are impressive in size, with a span of about two meters. The head and majestic neck have interesting - naked, completely featherless areas, covered only by skin of red, in some cases yellow and other shades, depending on the variety.

The legs are also bare, and the mesh skin on them is red. The birds' fingers, equipped with membranes, end in small pink claws.

Such birds are classified by biologists as belonging to the order of storks, which is also called wading birds. And all its representatives are members of the extensive stork family. It’s just a pity that for all their beauty, these representatives of the bird kingdom do not have a pleasant voice, but communicate with each other by clicking their beaks and emitting a hiss.

What kind of bird is a stork?: migratory or not? It all depends on the area that such birds choose as their habitat. These graceful creatures are found in many areas of Eurasia. And with the onset of cold weather, they usually go to spend the winter in African lands or in the vast regions of India known for their excellent climate.

It happens that storks choose favorable areas of southern Asia for relocation. Those of them that settle on warmer continents, for example, in or South, do without winter flights.

Kinds

The genus of these birds includes about 12 species. Their representatives are similar in many ways. However, they are also endowed with differences, which consist in the size and color of the feather cover, but not only. They also differ in character, habits and attitude towards people.

Distinctive features appearance can be observed storks in the photo.

Let's take a closer look at some of the varieties:

The white stork is one of the most numerous species. Adults can reach a height of 120 cm and a weight of approximately 4 kg. The color of their feathers is almost completely snow-white, while the beak and legs are red.

Only the feathers bordering the wings are black, and therefore, when folded, create the impression of darkness in the back of the body, for which such winged creatures in Ukraine received the nickname “Blackguz”.

They nest in many areas of Eurasia. They are widespread in Belarus and are even considered its symbol. For wintering, birds usually fly to African countries and India. To people White stork treats them with trust, and such representatives of the winged kingdom very often build their nests in close proximity to their homes.

White stork

The Far Eastern stork, sometimes also called the Chinese and black-billed stork, is a rare species and is protected in, as well as in Japan and China. Such birds nest on the Korean Peninsula, in Primorye and the Amur region, in the eastern and northern regions of China, and in Mongolia.

They prefer wetlands, trying to locate themselves away from people. With the onset of winter, birds move to more favorable areas, most often to the south of China, where they spend their days in swamps and rice fields, where they can easily find food for themselves.

These birds are larger than the white stork. Their beak is also much more massive and black in color. Around the eyes, an attentive observer may notice red areas of bare skin.

The black beak distinguishes it from other relatives of the Far East.

Black stork- a little-studied species, although numerous. Lives and lives sedentary in Africa. On the territory of Eurasia it is quite widespread, especially in the reserves of Belarus, and lives in abundance in the Primorsky Territory.

Birds can travel from unfavorable areas to southern Asia for wintering. Representatives of this species are somewhat smaller than their relatives from the previously described varieties. They reach a weight of about 3 kg.

The shade of the feathers of these birds, as the name suggests, is black, but with a slightly noticeable copper or greenish tint. Only the belly, undertail, and lower chest are white in such birds. The periocular areas and beak are red.

Birds of this species nest in deep forests, most often near small ponds and swamps, and in some cases in the mountains.

Black stork

The white-bellied stork is a small creature compared to its relatives. These are birds weighing only about a kilogram. They live mainly in Africa and live sedentary lives there.

They have white underwings and chest, which presents a great contrast with the black feathers of the rest of the body. And the latter became the reason for the name of the species. Hue stork beak This variety is gray-brown.

And during the mating season, the skin at the base of the beak turns bright blue, which is characteristic feature such birds. They nest in trees and rocky coastal areas. This happens during the rainy season, for which representatives of the described species are nicknamed rain storks by the local population.

White-bellied stork is a small representative of the family

The white-necked stork is found in various areas of Asia and Africa, taking root well in tropical forests. The height of birds is usually no more than 90 cm. The background color is mainly black with a touch of red, the wings have a greenish tint.

As you can understand from the name, the neck is white, but on the head it looks like there is a black cap.

The white-necked stork has white downy neck plumage

The American stork lives in the southern part of the continent indicated in the name of the species. These are not very large birds. By plumage color and appearance resemble a white stork, differing from it only in the shape of a forked black tail.

Elderly individuals are distinguished by their grayish-blue beak. Such birds nest near ponds in thickets of bushes. Their clutch consists of a very small number (most often about three pieces) of eggs, which is not enough in comparison with other varieties of fellow storks.

The newly born offspring are covered with white down, and only after three months do the cubs become similar in color and feather structure to adults.

Pictured is an American stork

The woolly-necked Malayan stork is a very rare, almost endangered species. Such birds live, in addition to the country indicated in the name, in Thailand, Sumatra, Indonesia, and other islands and countries with similar climates.

Usually they behave carefully, with extreme caution, hiding from human eyes. They have a special charcoal feather color, their faces are naked and covered only with orange skin, without feathers.

There are yellow circles around the eyes, reminiscent of glasses. Unlike many other species of storks, representatives of this species build small nests. In them, only two cubs grow from one clutch. After a month and a half of growth, the chicks of this species become completely independent.

The woolly-necked Malayan stork is the rarest of the family.

Lifestyle and habitat

These birds choose meadow lowlands and marshy areas to live. Storks usually do not form large flocks, preferring solitude or living in small groups. The exception is the wintering period, then the societies in which such birds gather can number up to several thousand individuals.

An interesting fact is that during long flights, storks are even able to sleep in the air. At the same time, the breathing and pulse of these living beings becomes less frequent. But in this state their hearing only becomes more sensitive, which is necessary for birds in order not to get lost and not to get separated from the flock of their relatives.

For specified type A quarter of an hour is enough rest for birds in flight, after which they wake up and their bodies return to normal.

During long flights, storks are able to fall asleep in flight without losing their “course”

When communicating with each other, storks are not characterized by sentimentality, because these graceful, beautiful-looking birds beat their sick and weakened relatives to death without any pity. Although with practical point From a perspective, such behavior is very reasonable and contributes to healthy natural selection.

It is interesting that in the works of writers of antiquity and the Middle Ages stork often presented as the personification of caring for parents. There are widespread legends that such birds touchingly care for elderly individuals when they lose the ability to care for themselves.

Nutrition

Despite their beauty, storks turn out to be very dangerous for many living creatures, because they are birds of prey. Their biggest delicacy is frogs. Just like the heron stork-like bird even externally, they feed on many creatures living in bodies of water, catching them in shallow water.

They love fish very much. Their varied diet also includes shellfish. In addition, storks love to feast on large insects; on land they catch lizards and snakes, even poisonous snakes. It is curious that these birds also pose a serious threat to small mammals, such as gophers, moles, mice, and rats.

All of the above are also included in their diet. Storks can even eat rabbits.

These birds are extremely skilled hunters. It is important that by walking back and forth on their long legs, they are not just walking, but tracking down the desired prey. When the prey appears in their field of vision, the birds run up to it with agility and dexterity and grab it with their strong long beak.

Such birds feed their young with semi-digested burps, and when the offspring grow a little older, the parents throw rain water directly into their mouths.

Fish and frogs are the favorite delicacy of storks

Reproduction and lifespan

The nests of storks of most common species are built gigantic and wide, so much so that small birds such as sparrows and starlings often manage to nest their chicks around the edges.

Such capacious structures serve for many years, often being passed on to subsequent generations. And these birds choose a place to build their chicks’ habitat for a long time. There is a known case that occurred in Germany when white storks used one nest built on a tower for four centuries.

These are monogamous winged creatures, and the emerging family unions of such birds are not destroyed throughout their lives. Married couples, remaining faithful to each other, participate in the construction of nests, are engaged in incubation and feeding of offspring with enviable unanimity, sharing among themselves all the hardships of this process.

True, mating rituals, depending on the variety, are distinguished by their peculiarities, as well as the order in which the male chooses his mate. For example, it is customary for cavaliers of white storks to choose as their spouse the first female to fly up to his nest.

Next, the new mistress lays eggs in quantities of up to seven pieces. Then incubation lasts about a month, and up to two months – the period of raising the chicks. Parents usually turn out to be cruel to sick and weak cubs, throwing them out of the nest without pity.

After 55 days from the moment of birth, the first flight of the young usually occurs. And after a couple of weeks, the chicks become so mature that they are ready to exist on their own. The new generation grows up towards autumn, and then stork family disintegrates.

Within a month, the chicks acquire plumage, and after another month they try their first flights.

Young animals, maturing purely physically, turn out to be ready to have their offspring at an age of approximately three years. And after a year or two, sometimes three, they create their own family unions.

The lifespan of such birds in natural conditions reaches 20 years. However, in captivity, this period can increase significantly with satisfactory care and maintenance.

The stork is a fairly large bird with high legs, a long neck and beak.

The most famous among storks is the white stork. It is called because the color of the plumage of this bird is predominantly white, but the tips of the wings are shiny black. When the bird's wings are folded, it seems that the entire back of the stork is black.

The white stork is distributed throughout the European part. Also lives in Asia. These birds winter in the warm regions of India and Africa. Storks live in swampy areas, in low-lying meadows. They can also be found near human homes. They are not afraid of people. Storks nest on the roofs of houses and in trees. The nests they build serve them for many years. After wintering, white birds fly to their previous nesting site. The male storks always arrive first. They repair their nests in anticipation of their "consorts". The older the nest, the more powerful and larger in circumference it is. Storks live about 20-22 years. And by the end of their life, their nests weigh about one hundred kilograms. Not only the host storks themselves nest in them, but also other birds. After the death of adults, the nest is “inherited” to the children of the storks.

Storks eat toads, frogs, lizards, mice, insects, and gophers. Adult storks feed small chicks with earthworms, grasshoppers, and chafers. A clean water They bring it in their beak and pour it into the small beaks of their babies. After two months, the stork chicks look for their own food.

A selection of photos and pictures of storks

photo of a young storkThe stork is widespread in Ukraine and Belarus. Ukrainian name for stork - blackguz, Belarusian – busel. In Russia, the white stork is distributed in the black earth region of Belgorod, Orel, Kursk, the border of distribution runs through the Lipetsk region. The stork also lives in the Smolensk and Tula regions.

Storks winter in India and Africa. Before flying to warmer climes, you can see large flocks of storks in the fields (stork summit).

The stork is a little over a meter tall. The wingspan reaches two meters. Storks live up to twenty years. A stork's nest usually hatches from two to five chicks.

The color of the stork is white, only the feathers on the wings are black.

stork photo

Storks are not very afraid of people. They settle near people, making large nests on poles and pipes. They often approach fishermen asking for fish; I even saw competition between a cat and a stork begging for fish.

What do storks eat?

If you see a stork hovering over a pond, it is a stork on the hunt. Once, while fishing, I saw a stork hovering in the middle of the river suddenly fly to a bush five meters from me and pull out a snake from there. The stork noticed the snake from a distance of at least 70 meters, which means the stork has excellent eyesight. The stork collects bugs, worms, catches fry, frogs, and small rodents. In search of prey, the stork walks sedately along the shore, often freezing on one leg while waiting for its prey.

Video - how a stork feeds

Garden stork, photo of figures of decorative birds

Stork figurines are widely used in decorative purposes, both in private homes and in public places. Stork figurines are mainly made of plaster, three-dimensional and flat, and plywood.