We have known storks since childhood. These are the same birds that make their nests on the pillars and roofs of our houses. They say that if a stork has settled, then happiness has come to the family. Perhaps that is why no one offends these graceful long-legged and long-beaked beauties. And those in response are not at all afraid of people.
But in fact, the life of storks is not as simple as it seems. Among them there are those who do not let anyone close to them and settle in the most inaccessible places. You certainly won't expect happiness from these. And in the many-sided family of storks there are enviable flyers who annually overcome thousands of kilometers, there are also homebodies who cannot be driven out of habitable places with a stick. Where do storks live in summer and winter, how do they look for a mate, how do they raise their children, and is it true that they bring happiness? Let's figure it out.
What are storks
Few people have ever seen slender white and black birds on long red legs with a long red beak. Some homeowners decorate their gardens with such figurines made of synthetic materials, even build artificial nests on poles and place the figurines there. These birds are called storks. According to popular beliefs, they bring a lot of good things to the house - children, good luck, money, happiness. So people settle them in their plots, if not living, then at least artificial. The life of storks in nature is complex and interesting.
Many people know that they can stand on one leg for a long time, looking for prey, that they arrive in spring and fly away in autumn, that they do no harm to anyone. Do you know how many species of storks exist in the world? According to the generally accepted classification, there are only three genera:
- Beaked storks (they look a bit like a heron).
- Razini storks (they always have a slightly open beak).
- Actually storks.
Each genus has its own species. So, beaks are:
- American;
- grey;
- African;
- Indian.
Razini are:
- African;
- Indian.
And looking at the above names, everyone can answer where the storks of these species live. But a slightly different picture is obtained with storks that are more familiar to us. Birds in this genus include:
- black;
- white;
- black-billed;
- white-necked;
- white-bellied;
- American;
- Malay.
There are two more genera of birds that look like storks and even belong to the stork family - these are the yabiru and the marabou.
Let's take a closer look at some of the types.
white storks
These are the very birds whose figurines are so fond of settling in their gardens and on pipes by some homeowners. The life of white storks, it would seem, is well studied, because they are always in sight, they are not at all afraid of people. Males of these birds grow up to 125 cm in height and gain up to 4 kg of weight. At the same time, their wingspan can reach 2 meters. The body of white storks (head, chest, belly, wings) is white, only the tip of the tail and the ends of the feathers on the wings are black. Their paws are thin and long, reddish in color, the beak is also thin and long, most often bright red. The portrait of a female white stork is exactly the same, only its dimensions are a little more modest.
The places where white storks live are mainly meadows and swampy lowlands. They feed on any amphibians, snakes (mainly vipers and snakes), earthworms, beetles. They do not disdain the hated bears, mice and rats, eating which they really bring happiness to the house. Adult storks do not refuse even moles, small hares and gophers.
It is interesting to watch how the birds hunt. They slowly, as if half asleep, walk through a meadow or swamp, sometimes freeze in one place, as if meditating. But as soon as prey catches their eye, storks instantly come to life and quickly grab their prey.
These birds build houses, as they say, for centuries and never change them. There is a known case when one nest existed for almost 400 years! Of course, all this time it was not the same stork that occupied him. The life expectancy of these birds is about 20 years, so that not a few generations have changed over four centuries. But the "apartment" of dry twigs and straw was occupied by representatives of the same family. That is, from the father she passed to the son and so on.
But you can’t say much about the cordial fidelity of these birds. They create a strong family, but only for one season. The male first flies to his expensive dwelling, corrects it, if necessary, and sits down to wait for the chosen one. She can be any female, the first to fly up to an enviable groom. He throws back his violent little head, almost lays it on his back, opens his beak and begins to make a joyful clatter. If suddenly at this stage another contender for the heart and living space approaches the nest, the first begins to sort things out with her, and the male dutifully waits, whose one he will take.
The only situation when he shows concern is if suddenly another male, who does not want to build his own house, covets his property. Then the owner of the nest throws his head back again and begins to click with his beak, only this time not joyfully, but menacingly. If the uninvited guest does not understand the hints, the owner of the nest rushes at him and beats him painfully with his beak.
Well, the issue with housing is settled, with the chosen one too. The bride and groom sit down in the nest, both throw back their heads and begin to rejoice, while clicking and lightly hitting each other with their beaks.
reproduction
These birds have chosen for themselves many areas of Europe, including Southern Switzerland, the Leningrad region, almost the entire territory of Ukraine, and there are so many storks in Belarus that they were called the winged symbol of the country. When asked where storks live in Russia, one can answer that representatives of the species can only be found in its western part, from the borders with Ukraine to Orel, Kaluga, Smolensk, Pskov and Tver. There is a separate population in Transcaucasia and Uzbekistan. In the European part, storks return from the southern regions in March-April.
Having chosen a couple, they proceed to the extension of the genus. Having carefully lined the nest with rags, pieces of paper, feathers and wool, the female lays the first egg in the tray and immediately begins to incubate it. In the future, she gradually manages to add 3-5 more slightly oblong white testicles to the firstborn.
It is noted that the place where storks live should be with good energy. In the courtyards where they built a house for themselves, there should be no scandals and abuse, and even more so war.
Mom and dad incubate the testicles in turn for about 33 days. Chicks are born just as unevenly as eggs. They are born sighted, but completely helpless. At first, they only know how to open their beaks, where parents put earthworms and give them water to drink. But after a couple of days, the younger generation itself knows how to collect worms dropped by their parents and even grab them on the fly.
Mom and dad are vigilantly watching the activity of their offspring. Unfortunately, they provide the weakest ones with the opportunity to take care of themselves by pushing them out of the nest onto the ground. The remaining chicks quickly gain strength, but are completely dependent for up to 55 days. Then they begin to leave the nest during the day and learn to catch their own food. Parents feed them for another 18 days. In the evening, the young go back home to sleep, and in the morning they go back to school.
Migration paths
Many are interested in where storks live in winter, and why they fly away. The second question is easy to answer - with the onset of cold weather, their food disappears. The answer to the first question is more extensive. On the 70th day of their bird life, the chicks become young storks, gather in large companies, and from the last days of summer, without parents, the flocks go south.
How they find their way to where they have never been, scientists are still arguing, but the main assumption is the instinct inherent in the genes of birds. It is believed that they are guided by atmospheric pressure, lighting and ambient temperature. It has been noticed that storks avoid flying over large bodies of water, for example over the sea.
Adult birds leave summer apartments somewhere from the 15th of September. Surprisingly, it turns out that it is important for migration routes where storks and ducks live, too. Birds that spend their summers west of the Elbe migrate to Africa and settle in the region between the Sahara and the tropical jungle. Those living east of the Elbe pave their way through Israel and Asia Minor, also reach Africa, only its eastern regions, and winter on the lands from Sudan to South Africa. Storks from Uzbekistan and adjacent regions do not fly so far for the winter, but move to neighboring India.
There is a population of storks living in South Africa. These do not migrate anywhere at all, they live settled. Storks from Europe do not fly away for the winter, where winters are not severe, and food remains active all year round. In the spring they form flocks again to fly home, but the young may stay in the south for a year, two or three, before reaching sexual maturity.
Black storks
Representatives of this species managed to get into the Red Book of many countries, including Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova, and this despite the fact that black storks, unlike white ones, never settle near people, but choose the most remote and territories hidden from prying eyes, sometimes climbing mountains to a height of over 2 km.
Nests are built in rocks or tall trees. Where they live Also in Europe, and in Russia they settled from the Baltic to the Far East. They migrate to Africa and South Asia for the winter. Populations living in Africa don't move anywhere.
Externally, these birds are very graceful. In size, they are somewhat smaller than their white relatives. Most of their body (head, neck, back, wings) is black with overflow, only the belly is white, which creates the appearance that these birds are dressed in elegant tailcoats.
The rhythms of their lives are the same as those of white storks, but there are also slight differences. So, the male does not wait indifferently for the first girlfriend, but invites her to his house, fluffing his tail and whistling. Chicks of this species are born even more helpless than those of white storks, and begin to rise to their feet only on the 11th day. But in the nest, the young spend the same 55 (less often - a little longer) days.
Their feeding methods and diet with white storks are approximately the same. It has not yet been possible to cross white and black storks, despite many common features.
Far Eastern stork
It is also called Chinese. Where does the stork live and what does it eat? Of course, he chose the Far East for himself, as well as China, South Korea and Mongolia. Only 3,000 individuals remain in Russia.
The diet of the bird is the same as that of its other brethren - fish, bugs, frogs, small rodents. Just like the black one, the Far Eastern stork prefers to climb away from human eyes.
Outwardly, representatives of this species are very similar to white storks. The difference is in larger sizes, but the main thing is in the red circle of skin around the eyes and in the black color of their beak, which is why the other name of the species is the black-billed stork. Curiously, the chicks of the Far Eastern stork have a red-orange beak, and the white chicks have a black one.
white-necked stork
If you are interested in where storks and ducks live, the answer - near water bodies and in swamps - is most suitable for white-necked storks, because the main dishes in their diet are toads, small and medium fish, living and non-living, as well as water snakes and other representatives of the fauna that will fit in the beak. For example, if there is a chance to catch a small rodent, white-necked storks will also not miss the moment.
Representatives of this species in Russia can only be seen in zoos. In the wild, they live in Africa, Java, Borneo, Bali and some other islands. White-necked storks are medium-sized birds, they grow up to 90 cm. They have white not only the neck, but also the lower abdomen, as well as the lower tail feathers. The rest of the body, including the spectacular cap on the head, is black, and the feathers shimmer beautifully on the sides. The legs of these storks are long, yellow-orange-reddish, and the beak is of an incomprehensible color, combining shades of gray, red, yellow and brown.
white-bellied stork
Representatives of the species are very similar to black relatives, but they are much smaller in size and are the smallest storks. Adult males grow no more than 73 cm in height and only up to 1 kg in weight. In Russia, they live only in zoos, and in nature their range is South Africa, Central Africa and the edge of the Arabian Peninsula. The white-bellied stork eats caterpillars and beetles, does not encroach on rodents and snakes. Settles mainly in forests, on tall trees.
stork
There are many places where storks and ducks live, as well as other birds that like to settle near water bodies. For example, razini storks. Their habitats are Madagascar, parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. There are no winter colds, but razini storks still migrate.
They rise to the wing when the heat sets in, and the reservoirs dry up, which means their food disappears. So they have to fly to where the water still remains, and in it you can catch fish and other living creatures.
Razini got their name because of the structure of the beak, which seems to be slightly ajar all the time. In fact, nature has thought of everything here and created their beak adapted for eating mussels and crustaceans, and not just fish and toads.
beaked stork
Representatives of this genus of storks are less graceful, but their figure is given some clumsiness not by size (they are almost as large as white storks), but by a rather solid beak. The plumage of the beaks is mostly white, but in the Indian species it is some kind of dirty gray, with black feathers on the wings. The American has a gray head, while the gray, on the contrary, has a white head, only the feathers on the wings are gray.
Beaked beaks live in America, Asia and Africa, choosing for themselves swampy lowlands where you can find a lot of food, and where there are tall trees for building their nests on them. Beaks, like white storks, are not afraid to settle near people, they can often be found in rice fields, in city parks and on trees or poles in rural settlements. In this genus, birds are familiar with fidelity not only to their home, but also to their partner. So, American beaks create a pair for life.
Any kind of stork is unique. In Russia, for the protection of birds living on its territory, rehabilitation centers have been established (in the Leningrad, Moscow, Ryazan, Kaluga, Smolensk and Tver regions). Anyone who finds storks or their chicks in trouble can turn there for help.
The stork is a rather large bird with high legs, long neck and beak.
The most famous among storks is the white stork. It is called because the color of the plumage of this bird is predominantly white, but the ends of the wings have a shiny black color. When the bird's wings are folded, it seems that the entire back of the stork is black.
The white stork is distributed throughout the European part. It also lives in Asia. These birds winter in the warm regions of India and Africa. Storks live in swampy areas, in low-lying meadows. They can also be found near human dwellings. They are not afraid of people. Storks nest on the roofs of houses, in trees. The nests they built serve them for many years. After wintering, white birds fly to their former nesting place. Male storks always arrive first. They repair their nests in anticipation of their "spouses". The older the nest, the more powerful it is and the larger in circumference. Storks live for about 20-22 years. And by the end of their lives, their nests weigh about a hundred kilograms. Not only the host storks themselves nest in them, but also other birds. After the death of adults, the nest is "inherited" to the children of storks.
Storks eat toads, frogs, lizards, mice, insects, ground squirrels. Adult storks feed small chicks with earthworms, grasshoppers, May beetles. And they bring clean water in their beak and pour it into the little beaks of their babies. After two months, the stork chicks are looking for their own food.
A selection of photos and pictures of storks
A small group of ankle-footed birds that gave the name to the entire Stork order. In fact, the genus of storks has become widely known thanks to one species - the white stork, while the rest of its representatives are little known. The closest to real storks are razini storks and beaked storks. In addition, family ties in these birds can be traced to marabou, saddle beaks and yabiru.
Far Eastern or black-billed stork (Ciconia boyciana).
The appearance of these birds is easily recognizable due to the characteristic long legs, neck and beak. The beak of real storks is straight and not too massive, in razin storks it looks more powerful, and its flaps are slightly curved, so they never close tightly. Because of the ever-open beak, they were called gapes. The wings of these birds are wide and strong, the tail is relatively short, bluntly cut. The legs are feathered only in the upper part, the fingers are free and not connected by membranes. In the coloration of all types of storks, there is only white and black in different proportions. The color of the paws and beak is black or red. The size of all species is approximately the same, these birds weigh 3-5 kg. Males and females are outwardly indistinguishable from each other.
African razin stork (Anastomus lamelligerus).
Storks live in the Old World, they reach the greatest diversity and abundance in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. The only species found in South America is the American stork. All southern species are sedentary and live in pairs or small groups consisting of several pairs nesting in the neighborhood. White, black and Far Eastern storks live in the temperate zone of Europe and Asia and are migratory. The white stork winters in Africa, the black stork in Africa and India, and the Far Eastern stork in China. Birds arrive at nesting sites in March-April, at first they stay in small flocks, and then break into pairs. Throughout the nesting period, nepotism persists, however, in feeding places, storks calmly endure the neighborhood of their own kind. By autumn, they gather in small flocks of 10-25 individuals, and in late August-early October they fly south. On wintering grounds, they form mass concentrations, here their flocks can number up to a thousand individuals.
The American stork (Ciconia maguari) has a bluish beak.
The flight of storks is moderately fast with strong wing beats. Although these birds feel confident in the air, they try to avoid unnecessary energy costs. During a long flight, they often switch to gliding with outstretched wings, and storks also try to avoid places with strong air currents, in particular, they never fly over the sea.
The nature of these birds is calm and friendly. They not only do not sort things out with each other, but also put up with other waterfowl and near-water birds (herons, for example). Almost all species of storks are voiceless, the means of communication for them is the loud clicking of their beak. The only sound-producing species is the black stork. His voice sounds like a quiet "chi-ling". Interestingly, the chicks of all species of storks are able to scream, their voices resemble a rough bass or a cat's meow.
The white-bellied stork (Ciconia abdimii) is the shortest-legged and short-billed species.
The habitats of storks are somehow connected with water. In most cases, birds prefer to nest in trees close to the shore. It happens that the nest itself is hidden in the thick of the forest, and birds fly to the reservoir only to feed. While searching for food, they roam in shallow water or at the water's edge. Storks never go deep into the water because they cannot swim. They also avoid dense thickets of reeds, impassable shrubs, but meadows with low grass are perfect for them.
Almost all species avoid proximity to humans and try to populate remote areas. The only exception to this rule is the white stork. He tolerates the neighborhood with people so well that he often settles on man-made structures. White stork nests can be seen on rooftops, bell towers, power poles, telegraph poles, water towers. If the design allows, then several pairs can arrange nests right next to each other.
A pair of black storks (Ciconia nigra) at the nest in the forest thicket. The plumage of these birds, like those of other dark-colored species, often casts green and purple.
Storks feed on a variety of small animals. Their diet consists of mollusks, worms, frogs, toads, small lizards and snakes, sometimes small fish. The method of hunting storks can be called active search. Unlike herons, they do not freeze in place in a fixed stance, but constantly walk along the feeding area. Seeing the prey, the stork sharply throws its neck forward, finishes it off with an energetic blow of the beak and immediately swallows it.
The black stork roams the shallow water in search of prey.
Storks are monogamous birds: the resulting pair remains faithful to each other throughout life. A bird can form a new pair only in the event of the death of the former partner.
Migratory species start nesting shortly after arrival. Stork nests are large piles of branches with a rammed tray in the middle. The construction of the nest is quite strong, so the birds try to occupy old nests, periodically updating them. Often, after the parents, the nest is "inherited" by one of their chicks. The record-breaking case of continuous nest exploitation is recorded in Germany, where birds used it from 1549 to 1930. Harmless freeloaders - sparrows and similar small birds often settle in the bulky nests of storks.
The mating ritual of Far Eastern storks - male and female, throwing their heads back, click their beaks.
In the clutch of these birds, there are from 2 to 5 white eggs. Incubation begins after the laying of the first or second egg, so the entire brood hatches over several days. The incubation period lasts 33-34 days, both parents participate in incubation. Stork chicks hatch covered in light gray down and grow quickly. Parents take turns bringing them food and water in their beaks. Breeding success largely depends on forage conditions; in low-feed years, younger chicks often die, which get less food. The first month and a half, the chicks spend in the nest, then they fledge and begin to travel along the branches of the tree, and then wander around with their parents.
White storks (Ciconia ciconia) at the nest with chicks.
In nature, storks do not have so many enemies: their relatively large size protects them from attack by birds of prey, and nesting in trees from land-based predators.
In the past, these meek and faithful birds enjoyed universal love. Storks personified happiness and family well-being. According to legend, the nest of storks on the roof of the house meant prosperity and peace, and the birds themselves were the messengers of motherhood. Nevertheless, now the number of species living in the temperate zone is constantly declining. This is due to the reduction of natural habitats (drainage of swamps, pollution of water bodies), a disturbance factor. In the white stork, cases of death of chicks and adult birds on power lines are not uncommon. The Far Eastern stork, listed in the International Red Book, is extremely rare, the number of black stork avoiding the neighborhood with humans is small (it is also listed in the national Red Books), and even the white stork is reducing its range. To protect these birds, it is enough to simply provide them with fodder lands (ponds, meadows) and attract them with convenient nesting sites.
A small colony of white storks on an old bell tower.
Latin name– Ciconia ciconia
English title– White stork
Detachment– Storks (Ciconiiformes)
Family– Storks (Ciconiidae)
Genus– Storks (Ciconia)
The white stork is the most famous and widespread species of the family; in many parts of its range, the species has become a synanthropus, i.e. well adapted to life next to a person.
conservation status
According to the international status, the white stork belongs to the species, the position of which in nature causes the least concern. However, in different parts of the vast range, its abundance is different. In the western parts, the number of white storks is declining, despite the benevolent attitude of people towards these birds. This is probably due to the intensification of agriculture, which reduces the food supply of birds, as well as their poisoning due to the intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers. In Russia, on the contrary, the number of storks is increasing as a result of the reduction in the use of agricultural areas. The world population of the white stork has 150,000 breeding pairs, and about one third of them live in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. With regard to regional protection, the white stork is included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.
View and person
There are many legends and beliefs about the white stork among different peoples. Since ancient times, it has been considered a symbol of longevity and marital fidelity. Parents explained to the children that it is storks that bring children to people.
The Slavs and the Baltic peoples considered the stork a symbol of well-being and happiness. If a stork's nest appeared in the hut, the owners were waiting for consent, health and a good harvest. People believed that storks settled only with good and hardworking people, and the houses of evil and lazy people were avoided. In fairy tales, the stork is always a positive hero, saving the owners from fires, snakes and other misfortunes. The Poles believed that storks, circling in the sky, disperse thunderclouds.
In Germany, in honor of the spring arrival of storks, they organized festivities, festive processions, and rang bells.
In ancient Greece, when people saw the first stork in the spring, they knelt down.
In ancient Rome, there was a "stork law", according to which adult children were obliged to take care of their elderly parents; it was believed that storks feed their parents.
In Morocco, it was believed that storks are people who fly from a distant island in the form of birds, and then again acquire a human appearance.
In Moldova, the stork is a symbol of viticulture. There is also a beautiful legend about this: storks in their beaks brought bunches of grapes to the besieged warriors and saved them. The Turks believed that the stork's nest was a talisman against lightning and fires.
Armenians considered storks to be sacred birds that protect the fields and bring warmth.
In Belarus, the white stork is one of the national symbols.
The image of storks is in the coats of arms of many European cities.
White storks make contact with humans easily, and they can often be seen in peasant yards walking around with poultry.
Distribution and habitats
The nesting range of the white stork is very extensive: the Iberian Peninsula, Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia and Transcaucasia, south-eastern regions of Central Asia. In Russia, the range has recently expanded to the east and northeast, and white storks are regularly found in Karelia and the Middle Volga region.
White storks winter in tropical Africa and India, and some birds from Central Europe fly to Asian wintering grounds.
White storks are inhabitants of low-lying meadows and wetlands; often settle near human habitation.
Appearance
The white stork is a rather large bird: its length is 102 cm, its height is more than 1 m, and its weight is about 4 kg. The plumage is white, flight feathers are black. In a standing bird, the entire back of the body seems black, which is reflected in the Ukrainian name of the bird - chernoguz. The feathers of the lower part of the neck are elongated and loosened. Beak and legs are red, throat pouch, frenulum and iris are black.
Lifestyle and social behavior
White storks are migratory birds. The main part of the European population winters in tropical Africa, the rest in India. For wintering, young birds fly on their own, separately from adults, usually at the end of August. Migration of adults occurs in September-October. Immature birds usually remain at the wintering grounds for another summer.
White storks fly very well and, although they flap their wings smoothly and rarely, they fly quite quickly. In flight, they keep their neck extended forward, and their legs back. Storks can also soar in the air for a long time, almost without moving their wings.
Feeding and feeding behavior
The food spectrum of white storks is very diverse and changeable due to the location of this population. Their main food is small vertebrates and various invertebrates. The favorite food of European storks are frogs, toads, snakes (including poisonous vipers), as well as large grasshoppers and locusts. However, white storks willingly eat earthworms, and various beetles, and small fish (including dead ones), and lizards, and small rodents, and chicks and bird eggs. Thus, the "peaceful kind" stork is a real predator. Living in villages, storks deftly catch chickens and ducklings that have lagged behind their mothers. During wintering, storks often feed on locusts.
Looking for food, storks slowly walk on land or on water, and when they see prey, they quickly and deftly grab it.
Vocalization
White storks do not have a voice in the usual sense of the word. They communicate with each other by clicking their beak, which completely replaces their voice communication. At the same time, storks throw back their heads strongly and retract their tongues. The resulting large resonating mouth cavity amplifies the sound, so that the crackling of the storks' beaks can be heard at a great distance.
White stork chicks make sounds reminiscent of a cat's meow.
Reproduction, parental behavior and upbringing of offspring
The traditional nesting place of the white stork is tall trees, where they build huge nests, often near human settlements. Gradually, storks began to nest not only on trees, but also on the roofs of houses, on water towers, on power lines, on factory pipes, as well as on special platforms built by people specifically to attract storks to nest. Sometimes an old cart wheel serves as such a platform. The same nest is often used by storks for many years, and since the couple repairs and renews the nest every year, it can reach very impressive sizes (over 1 m in diameter and 200 kg in weight). In the "lower floors" of such a huge nest, other, smaller birds often settle - sparrows, starlings, wagtails. Often such nests are passed on by storks "by inheritance" from parents to children.
When building or repairing nests, storks sometimes pick up smoldering branches or firebrands in peasant yards. In this case, not only the nest of storks can burn down, but also the house on the roof of which it is located. From here came the legend that if the stork is offended, then he can burn the house of the offender.
Males arrive at nesting sites a few days earlier than females and occupy their nests. In Russia, the arrival of storks occurs in late March - early April. The male is ready to leave the first female that appears in his nest, and if another one appears (often last year's hostess), an obvious struggle takes place between them for the right to remain in the nest. Interestingly, the male does not take part in this "dispute". The victorious female remains in the nest and the male greets her by throwing back his head and snapping his beak loudly. In response, the female also throws her head back and clicks her beak. This behavior of birds refutes the widely held opinion about the extraordinary fidelity of storks to each other. Changes of the female on the nest are quite common. After courtship and mating, the female lays 1 to 7 (usually 2-5) white eggs, which the pair incubate in turn. As a rule, the female incubates at night, and the male during the day. The change of birds on the nest is accompanied by special ritual postures and beak clicking. Incubation lasts about 33 days. Hatched chicks are sighted, with black beaks. but completely helpless. At first, the parents feed the chicks with earthworms, passing them "from beak to beak" and gradually switch to other types of food. In feeding years, all chicks grow in the nest, with a shortage of food, the younger ones often die. It is well known that adult storks ruthlessly throw weak and sick chicks out of the nest. So in this case, the legends about the “nobility and kindness” of storks do not quite correspond to reality.
For the first time, young storks try to fly under the supervision of their parents at the age of 54-55 days. Then, for another 14-18 days, the brood keeps together, and during the day the chicks “work out” the flight, and fly to their native nest for the night.
At the age of 70 days they leave the nest completely. At the end of August, the young fly away for the winter alone, without their parents, who remain at the nesting sites until September. It is amazing how young storks independently unmistakably find wintering places where they have never been.
White storks become sexually mature at the age of 3, but many individuals start nesting much later, at 6 years.
Lifespan
In nature, white storks live for about 20 years.
Life at the Moscow Zoo
Now in our zoo in the Old Territory there lives a pair of white storks who came to us recently.
The white stork's daily diet includes 350 g of fish, 350 g of meat, 2 mice and 5 frogs, for a total of about 800 g of food.
Where do storks live and where do storks winter? The story about storks for children contains a lot of educational information.
Where does the stork live?
The white stork is a large marsh bird from the stork family. Storks are monogamous birds that live in pairs.
The white stork lives in Europe and Asia. In Europe, its range extends in the north to southern Sweden and the Leningrad region, east to Smolensk, Bryansk and Lipetsk, and in recent years the range has been expanding eastward.
Where do storks winter?
They winter in Africa (south of the Sahara) and in Asia (India, Pakistan, Indochina, etc.). They return home quite early: in late March - early April.
Where do storks nest?
They usually nest near wet meadows, swamps and stagnant water bodies. Nests are built on rooftops, in trees near houses, water towers, etc. Stork nests are large and the pair build them together. It happens that during the construction of the nest, storks use twigs and firebrands that smolder. Sometimes this leads to a fire. What caused such attention of storks to smoldering objects is unknown, but it is precisely with this that the belief is connected that storks can set fire to the owner's house, which destroyed their nest.
Stork nests are bulky, usually have a diameter of at least a meter, and if an old nest is occupied, which is being renovated and completed by storks, then the diameter can reach one and a half meters. The construction of a new nest takes about 8 days. Occasionally, white storks build a second nest, which serves them for sleeping or as a guard post.
In clutch - from 1 to 7 eggs, more often 4-5. Sometimes it happens that parents throw one chick out of the nest. Although, from a human point of view, this may seem cruel, birds have a different logic: this is a chick, perhaps a sick one, it still cannot survive.
What do storks eat?
White storks, like other storks, feed on animal food: frogs, lizards, insects, fish and small mammals.
Legends associated with storks. In general, many legends are associated with storks: they bring happiness to the house where they nest. The stork is a symbol of family well-being, it was considered a sacred bird. The storks were not to be disturbed. Another legend claims that storks have their own "courts". According to legend, the "guilty" in these courts are sentenced to death. This legend has a biological basis: in autumn, storks can really kill weak birds that are not able to withstand a long flight.
