Black Stork
The Black Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae, a group of 7 species characterised by straight bills and mainly black and white plumage.
The Black Stork measures between 37 and 39 inches in length with a 57 to 61 inches wingspan and weighing around 6.6 pounds. Standing as tall as 40 inches, it has long red legs, a long neck and a long, straight, pointed red beak. The plumage is black with a purplish green sheen except for the white lower breast, belly, axillaries and undertail coverts. The breast feathers are long and shaggy, forming a ruff which is used in some courtship displays. The irises are brown and there is bare red skin around the eyes. The sexes are identical in appearance except that males are larger than females on average. Moulting takes place in spring with the iridescent sheen brighter in new plumage. The juvenile resembles the adult in plumage but the areas corresponding to the adult black feathers are browner and less glossy, the scapulars, wing and upper tail coverts have pale tips and the legs, bill and bare skin around the eyes are greyish green.
The Black Stork walks slowly and steadily on the ground and, like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is a wary bird and avoids contact with people. It is generally found alone or in pairs although flocks of up to a 100 birds can occur when migrating or during winter.
During the summer months, the Black Stork can be found from east Asia (Siberia and north China) west to central Europe, reaching Estonia in the north, Poland, Lower Saxony and Bavaria in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Greece in the south with an outlying population in the central south west region of the Iberian Peninsula (Extremadura and surrounding provinces of Spain plus Portugal). An isolated population exists in south Africa in east South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia.
The Black Stork is a rare vagrant to the UK and it is most often recorded in spring and generally in the south and east. Sightings have become more common since the 1970s as the breeding range moves northwards.
The Black Stork is migratory and it winters in tropical Africa and Asia although some populations are sedentary or dispersive. Birds that summer in Europe migrate to Africa with those from west Germany and points west heading south via the Iberian Peninsula and the rest via Turkey and the Levant. Those flying via Spain spend the winter in east Senegal, Guinea, south Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and west and central Mali whilst those flying via the Sinai winter in north Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Chad and north east Nigeria. Birds that summer in west Asia migrate to north and north east India and Africa whilst those that summer further east in east Russia and China winter mainly in south China and occasionally in Hong Kong, Myanmar, north Thailand and Laos.
Migration takes place from early August to October with a major exodus in September. As a broad-winged soaring bird, the Black Stork is assisted by thermals of hot air for long-distance flight although it is less dependent on them than the White Stork. Since thermals only form over land, the Black Stork, together with the White Stork and large raptors, must cross the Mediterranean at the narrowest points such as through the Bosphorus, the Sinai and the Straits of Gibraltar. The trip is around 3500 miles via the western route and 4300 miles via the eastern route with satellite tracking yielding an average travel time of 37 and 80 days respectively.
The Black Stork prefers more wooded areas than the White Stork and it breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broadleaved woodlands but also in hills and mountains with sufficient networks of rivers, streams and creeks. It can usually be seen in ponds and rivers and on the edges of lakes, estuaries and other freshwater wetlands. The Black Stork does sometimes inhabit more agricultural areas but even here it avoids close contact with people.
The Black Stork breeds between April and May in the Northern Hemisphere. In south Africa, it breeds between September and March, possibly to take advantage of abundant water prey which is easier to catch as the rivers dry up and recede, from April and May in Zimbabwe, Botswana and north South Africa and as late as July further south. Pairs in courtship have aerial displays that appear to be unique among the storks. Paired birds soar in parallel, usually over the nest territory early in the mornings or late afternoons, and call to each other. Courtship flights are difficult to see due to the densely forested habitat in which the birds breed.
The nest of the Black Stork is large and constructed from sticks and twigs and sometimes also large branches. It is built at a height of around 15 to 80 feet mostly in old-growth deciduous forests with large canopies far from human disturbance. In steeply mountainous areas, nests are built on cliffs, on large boulders, in caves and under overhanging ledges. The Black Stork's solitary nests are usually at least 0.5 miles apart even where the species is numerous. The female Black Stork lays 2 to 5 eggs which are incubated for 32 to 38 days by both the male and female. At least one adult remains in the nest for 2 to 3 weeks after hatching to protect the young. Both parents feed the young by regurgitating food on to the floor of the nest. The Black Stork has been known to kill one of their young, generally the weakest, in times of food shortage to reduce brood size and hence increase the chance of survival of the remaining nestlings. Fledging takes 60 to 71 days after which the young birds join the adults at their feeding grounds. However, for another 2 weeks, the young continue to return to the nest to be fed and to roost at night.
Ringing recovery studies in Europe suggest that nearly 20% of chicks reach the breeding age at around 3 years old and about 10% live beyond 10 years old and about 5% beyond 20 years old. Captive individuals have lived for as long as 36 years.
The Black Stork mainly eats fish but it may also feed on amphibians, small reptiles, crabs, mammals and birds, invertebrates such as snails, molluscs, earthworms and insects such as water beetles and their larvae. Foraging for food takes place mostly in fresh water although it may look for food on dry land at times. The Black Stork wades patiently and slowly in shallow water, often alone or in a small group if food is plentiful. It will also follow large mammals such as deer and livestock, presumably to eat the invertebrates and small animals flushed by their presence.
The Black Stork has been rated as a species of “Least Concern” because it has a large range and because its population is thought not to have declined significantly. However, the state of the population overall is unclear and, although it is widespread, it is not abundant anywhere and population declines in some areas have been noted. The habitat of the Black Stork is changing rapidly in much of its range and various conservation measures have been taken. It is also protected by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Date: 26th May 2018
Location: River Borovitsa valley near Nenkovo, Eastern Rhodopes Mountains, Haskovo Province, Bulgaria
The Black Stork measures between 37 and 39 inches in length with a 57 to 61 inches wingspan and weighing around 6.6 pounds. Standing as tall as 40 inches, it has long red legs, a long neck and a long, straight, pointed red beak. The plumage is black with a purplish green sheen except for the white lower breast, belly, axillaries and undertail coverts. The breast feathers are long and shaggy, forming a ruff which is used in some courtship displays. The irises are brown and there is bare red skin around the eyes. The sexes are identical in appearance except that males are larger than females on average. Moulting takes place in spring with the iridescent sheen brighter in new plumage. The juvenile resembles the adult in plumage but the areas corresponding to the adult black feathers are browner and less glossy, the scapulars, wing and upper tail coverts have pale tips and the legs, bill and bare skin around the eyes are greyish green.
The Black Stork walks slowly and steadily on the ground and, like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is a wary bird and avoids contact with people. It is generally found alone or in pairs although flocks of up to a 100 birds can occur when migrating or during winter.
During the summer months, the Black Stork can be found from east Asia (Siberia and north China) west to central Europe, reaching Estonia in the north, Poland, Lower Saxony and Bavaria in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Greece in the south with an outlying population in the central south west region of the Iberian Peninsula (Extremadura and surrounding provinces of Spain plus Portugal). An isolated population exists in south Africa in east South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia.
The Black Stork is a rare vagrant to the UK and it is most often recorded in spring and generally in the south and east. Sightings have become more common since the 1970s as the breeding range moves northwards.
The Black Stork is migratory and it winters in tropical Africa and Asia although some populations are sedentary or dispersive. Birds that summer in Europe migrate to Africa with those from west Germany and points west heading south via the Iberian Peninsula and the rest via Turkey and the Levant. Those flying via Spain spend the winter in east Senegal, Guinea, south Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and west and central Mali whilst those flying via the Sinai winter in north Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Chad and north east Nigeria. Birds that summer in west Asia migrate to north and north east India and Africa whilst those that summer further east in east Russia and China winter mainly in south China and occasionally in Hong Kong, Myanmar, north Thailand and Laos.
Migration takes place from early August to October with a major exodus in September. As a broad-winged soaring bird, the Black Stork is assisted by thermals of hot air for long-distance flight although it is less dependent on them than the White Stork. Since thermals only form over land, the Black Stork, together with the White Stork and large raptors, must cross the Mediterranean at the narrowest points such as through the Bosphorus, the Sinai and the Straits of Gibraltar. The trip is around 3500 miles via the western route and 4300 miles via the eastern route with satellite tracking yielding an average travel time of 37 and 80 days respectively.
The Black Stork prefers more wooded areas than the White Stork and it breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broadleaved woodlands but also in hills and mountains with sufficient networks of rivers, streams and creeks. It can usually be seen in ponds and rivers and on the edges of lakes, estuaries and other freshwater wetlands. The Black Stork does sometimes inhabit more agricultural areas but even here it avoids close contact with people.
The Black Stork breeds between April and May in the Northern Hemisphere. In south Africa, it breeds between September and March, possibly to take advantage of abundant water prey which is easier to catch as the rivers dry up and recede, from April and May in Zimbabwe, Botswana and north South Africa and as late as July further south. Pairs in courtship have aerial displays that appear to be unique among the storks. Paired birds soar in parallel, usually over the nest territory early in the mornings or late afternoons, and call to each other. Courtship flights are difficult to see due to the densely forested habitat in which the birds breed.
The nest of the Black Stork is large and constructed from sticks and twigs and sometimes also large branches. It is built at a height of around 15 to 80 feet mostly in old-growth deciduous forests with large canopies far from human disturbance. In steeply mountainous areas, nests are built on cliffs, on large boulders, in caves and under overhanging ledges. The Black Stork's solitary nests are usually at least 0.5 miles apart even where the species is numerous. The female Black Stork lays 2 to 5 eggs which are incubated for 32 to 38 days by both the male and female. At least one adult remains in the nest for 2 to 3 weeks after hatching to protect the young. Both parents feed the young by regurgitating food on to the floor of the nest. The Black Stork has been known to kill one of their young, generally the weakest, in times of food shortage to reduce brood size and hence increase the chance of survival of the remaining nestlings. Fledging takes 60 to 71 days after which the young birds join the adults at their feeding grounds. However, for another 2 weeks, the young continue to return to the nest to be fed and to roost at night.
Ringing recovery studies in Europe suggest that nearly 20% of chicks reach the breeding age at around 3 years old and about 10% live beyond 10 years old and about 5% beyond 20 years old. Captive individuals have lived for as long as 36 years.
The Black Stork mainly eats fish but it may also feed on amphibians, small reptiles, crabs, mammals and birds, invertebrates such as snails, molluscs, earthworms and insects such as water beetles and their larvae. Foraging for food takes place mostly in fresh water although it may look for food on dry land at times. The Black Stork wades patiently and slowly in shallow water, often alone or in a small group if food is plentiful. It will also follow large mammals such as deer and livestock, presumably to eat the invertebrates and small animals flushed by their presence.
The Black Stork has been rated as a species of “Least Concern” because it has a large range and because its population is thought not to have declined significantly. However, the state of the population overall is unclear and, although it is widespread, it is not abundant anywhere and population declines in some areas have been noted. The habitat of the Black Stork is changing rapidly in much of its range and various conservation measures have been taken. It is also protected by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Date: 26th May 2018
Location: River Borovitsa valley near Nenkovo, Eastern Rhodopes Mountains, Haskovo Province, Bulgaria
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Also in: Bulgaria
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