White Stork

NL: Ooievaar
D: Weißstorch
F: Cicogne blanche

Latin name: Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758)

Bird group: Storks

Sound: Silent outside breeding season. Loud beak clattering on the nest during breeding season.

Field characteristics: 100-115 cm. Easily identified by white plumage with black flight feathers and coverts, long neck and long red bill and legs. Rests on trees, buildings, etc., often on one leg. Walk calmly with neck straight and leaning slightly forward. Flies with neck stretched and slightly lowered horizontally; legs protrude clearly beyond tail. Flies with very calm, slow wing beats and soars on thermals with wings held straight. In juveniles, the flight feathers are browner and the bill and legs are a dull brownish red.

Occurrences: Decreases in numbers in northern and western Europe, but is still numerous in eastern and southern areas.

Habitat: Builds huge nests on trees, rooftops, church tower, ruins, and on specially made platforms-on-piles. Occurs in open wet areas, grasslands, steppes, agricultural areas, etc.

Food: Variety of small animals, such as large insects, small mammals, amphibians and reptiles, worms, fish. Also eat bait. Forages on foot, with beak pointing downwards.

Egg: Lime white or transparent yellow, without markings. Turn brown cloudy during the breeding season. Fine grainy texture, not shiny at first, but gradually become more and more shiny. Shape somewhat variable. Dimensions 73 x 52 mm, weight 111 g.

Song/call: