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Storks |
The storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills. They occur in most of the warmer regions of the world. They tend to live in drier habitats than their relatives the herons, spoonbills and ibises, and lack the powder down that those groups use to clean off fish slime. Storks lack a pharynx and are mute; bill-clattering is an important mode of stork communication at the nest. Many species are migratory. Storks eat frogs, fish, insects, worms, and small birds or mammals.
Storks are heavy birds with wide wingspans. The Marabou Stork, with a 3.2 m (10.5 ft) wingspan shares the distinction of "longest wingspan of any landbird" with the Andean Condor.
They tend to use soaring, gliding flight, which conserves their expenditure of energy. Soaring requires thermal air currents. Ottomar Anschütz's famous 1884 albumen photographs of storks inspired the design and engineering of aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal's experimental gliders of the late 19th century.
Wintering storks of some migratory species tend to congregate en masse if there is a swarm of insects or other abundant prey to feed upon.
Their nests are often very large, some having been known to grow to over 2m (6 feet) diameter and about 3m (10 feet) in depth. A stork's nest may be utilized for many years.
Storks were once thought to be monogamous, but this is only true to a limited extent. They may change mates after migrations, and migrate without them. They tend to be attached to nests as much as partners.
Their size, serial-monogamy, faithfulness to an established nesting site contribute to their prominence in myth and culture.
Species
Genus Mycteria
Milky Stork, Mycteria cinerea
Yellow-billed Stork, Mycteria ibis
Painted Stork, Mycteria leucocephala
Wood Stork, Mycteria americana
Genus Anastomus
Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans
African Openbill Stork, Anastomus lamelligerus
Genus Ciconia
Abdim's Stork, Ciconia abdimii
Woolly-necked Stork, Ciconia episcopus
Storm's Stork, Ciconia stormi
Maguari Stork, Ciconia maguari
Oriental White Stork, Ciconia boyciana
White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Black Stork Ciconia nigra
Genus Ephippiorhynchus
Black-necked Stork, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Saddle-billed Stork, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Genus Jabiru
Jabiru Jabiru mycteria
Genus Leptoptilus
Lesser Adjutant, Leptoptilos javanicus
Greater Adjutant, Leptoptilos dubius
Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos crumeniferus
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