Stork

In the collection there are twelve species of storks. Storks are large birds. The growth of an adult bird reaches half a meter, and a wingspan of up to 2 meters. For all the storks have a long conical beak, long legs and neck.

Storks are common in various areas on all continents of the planet. Live both in the tropics and the temperate zone. Some species of storks, except those who reside in areas where winters are warm enough, migratory lifestyle. In the winter of storks are sent to warmer climes, India and Africa.

Flying storks are only in the daytime. The birds are able to choose the best in basement plan routes, flying over the areas which contribute to soaring air currents. Storks fly over the sea escape. Life expectancy is around 20 years of a stork.

White Stork Ciconia ciconia

Kingdom: Animal

Type: Chordate

Class: Birds

Squad: Golenastye

Family: Herons

Genus: Ciconia

Appearance: White Stork

 

Common types

They belong to a family of birds in the order Ciconiiformes. Storks are on Earth since ancient times – the historical excavations, scientists were able to describe the 27 species, of which 7 species found in nature. At this point, to Aistovyh (LAT. Ciconiidae) are 18 species belonging to 9 genera:

the White Stork (ciconia ciconia)

Oriental Stork (ciconia boyciana)

Black Stork (ciconia nigra)

Stork-storks (mycteria ibis)

openbill (anastomus oscitans)

Adjutant (leptoptilus crumeniferus)

African Stork (ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)

Jabiru (jabiru mycterica)

Jabiru (xenorhynchus asiaticus) Indian

 

 

Lifestyle

Depending on the species and the Habitat, life of storks is different. White Storks, black storks, storks CJK-monogamous birds. For breeding pair builds a nest, which can then be used repeatedly over several years (for example, known case when one pair of black storks used the same nest for 14 years). African, Brazilian and Indian Jabiru snopes.com.

Inhabited by storks different landscapes – depending on the type of food it may be and marshes, and the shores of rivers and forests.

White Stork prefers lowland, places where there are extensive damp meadows, swamps and stagnant pools of water. Sometimes the storks make nests on rooftops or in trees, located in the immediate vicinity of the place of residence. The main diet of white Storks-food of animal origin: frogs, lizards, insects, small mice. Oriental stork is trying to settle in places inaccessible to humans, in the dense forests near water. The main power of far eastern Stork – fish. Black Stork also avoids human. Habitat its Habitat is woodlands, with marshland availability.

Marabu inhabits the tropical Africa. Nest in trees, often close to human habitation. The main diet of the marabou is carrion, frogs, lizards, rodents and insects. The African Jabiru inhabits remote papirusovye swamps and marshy wetlands and river banks. Eats fish, amphibians and other near-water vertebrates.

Preferring to live alone, in small groups, on wintering storks roost in flocks. The spots of the winter residence of such swarms can consist of more than a few thousand birds. Flying storks are only in the daytime. While most of the way birds soar in the air. For this purpose they choose routes over terrains with good aerodynamic properties.

An interesting feature of the behaviour of white Storks is the so-called "shoe series. Storks are killing their fellow tribesmen, who are the most weak and ill-equipped for life.

Nutrition

The main diet of birds living on European territory are amphibians (frogs and toads), some snakes (grass snakes, vipers) and insects. Storks can eat small rodents and mammals (small hares, ground squirrels). Rarely grab small birds from nests and eat them. For some species of storks main food is fish and shellfish, and marabou prefers to eat carrion: you can see floating along with incoming and vysmatrivaûŝego yourself. Marabou has a powerful beak and can tear the skin of an animal that is often unable to other predatory birds-padal′ŝikami.

Reproduction

Nest the Stork has large dimensions, is, as a rule, on a tree, rooftop or other economic constructions. Currently, there are cases when the birds nest right on Willie supports high-voltage lines and pipes of industrial plants.

Some birds prefer lodges near human habitation, others choose rugged forest terrain. Sviv nest, birds use it repeatedly for many years. Often, even passes by inheritance to posterity. Most long term use of nests recorded in Germany: there is a built in the middle of 16 century, Jack served as the birds until 1930.

Stork has more than one metre in diameter. It therefore often pairs of storks are small birds (Wagtails, sparrows). Males return from wintering in the nest first and wait for the females. The female, which first appears in the nest, seizes it and makes a couple of the male. There are cases that the females arrive at the same time and in this case between them can be the "battle for the slot. Male in such disputes is not involved – is merely a bystander. If after a couple took a nest, there is another male, claiming the same place of residence, the male chases his menacing guttural sounds. If this does not work, the birds fight for housing.

The birds reach sexual maturity at the age of three years, but for reproduction starting from 6 years. In the masonry of the storks usually from two to five white eggs. Nasiživaniem are both parents: the female takes the nest at night, male – afternoon. The incubation period lasts a little more than a month. The chicks are born sighted, but helpless. The weakest or ill parents thrown out of the nest. Feeding young aistât worms, which bring in its beak. The first flight of its fledgling commit at the age of about 55 days. When the chicks performed two and a half months, they become fully self-sufficient and able to fly themselves for wintering, focusing only on his natural instincts. Baby birds fly away before the parents – at the end of August.