White Stork
The White Stork is a large and unmistakable wading bird, 40 to 50 inches tall with a 60 to 80 inches wingspan. It is completely white except for the black wing flight feathers, red legs and a long red bill. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground and flies with its neck outstretched.
The White Stork breeds in the warmer parts of Europe (north to Estonia), north west Africa and south west Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan). It is a strong migrant, wintering mainly in tropical Africa down to the south of South Africa and also in the Indian subcontinent.
In many parts of Europe the White Stork is an unmissable bird, breeding in towns and villages on the tops of roofs and telegraph poles or in colonies in trees in open parkland and feeding openly in fields and meadows.
There has been a severe decline in numbers in Europe since the World War 2 and the biggest concentration remains in the Iberian Peninsula.
However, White Storks are generally well protected given the reputation they have for being a lucky bird. The myth about storks bringing babies probably arose because they arrived back in Europe on fairly predictable dates and almost exactly 9 months after the previous mid-summer.
Date: 28th April 2012
Location: Monroy to Santa Marta de Magasca, Extremadura, Spain
The White Stork breeds in the warmer parts of Europe (north to Estonia), north west Africa and south west Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan). It is a strong migrant, wintering mainly in tropical Africa down to the south of South Africa and also in the Indian subcontinent.
In many parts of Europe the White Stork is an unmissable bird, breeding in towns and villages on the tops of roofs and telegraph poles or in colonies in trees in open parkland and feeding openly in fields and meadows.
There has been a severe decline in numbers in Europe since the World War 2 and the biggest concentration remains in the Iberian Peninsula.
However, White Storks are generally well protected given the reputation they have for being a lucky bird. The myth about storks bringing babies probably arose because they arrived back in Europe on fairly predictable dates and almost exactly 9 months after the previous mid-summer.
Date: 28th April 2012
Location: Monroy to Santa Marta de Magasca, Extremadura, Spain
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Also in: South and west Spain - April and May 2012
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