White Stork [Ciconia Ciconia]

You can learn more about White Stork - https://avibirds.com/white-stork/

In this video, we take a look at the White Stork, also known as the Ciconia ciconia.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Length: 100–115 cm (39–45 in)
Weight: 2.3–4.5 kg (5.1–9.9 lb)
Wingspan: 155–215 cm (61–85 in)

LIFESPAN
The White Stork lives from 20 up to 34 years, the longest recorded Stork reaching the age of 39 years. Unlike some other birds, the White Stork spends quite a few years developing before it starts breeding.

Once the White Storks reaches around 4 years of age, that's the time it starts to look for a mate and breed.

There are some exceptions, of course, the fastest being at around 2 years and the latest at 7, so it just shows, that you should live at your own pace.

HABITAT
The nominate race of the white stork has a wide summer range across Europe, clustered in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa and much of eastern and central Europe.

A major 25% of the world's population is concentrated in Poland, as well as parts of western Asia, with the highest density living in Lithuania.

The Asiatica population of about 1450 birds which is restricted to a region in central Asia between the Aral Sea and Xinjiang.

The White Stork builds a massive nest, usually preferring electrical posts, due to its stability and ease of building a massive, stronghold of a nest.

Another popular location is the chimneys of rural houses, as it's a wonderful and stable base that the Storks can utilise. In some countries, breaking these nests is considered a crime.

BEHAVIOR
The white stork is a gregarious bird and flocks of thousands of individuals have been recorded on migration routes and at wintering areas.

During the breeding season, non-breeding birds gather in groups of 40 or 50. The smaller dark-plumaged Abdim's stork is often encountered with white stork flocks in southern Africa and breeding pairs of white stork may gather in small groups to hunt, and even colony nesting has been recorded in some areas.

However, groups among white stork colonies can vary widely in size and the social structure is quite loosely defined, as these birds are rather individual and independent.

Young breeding storks are often restricted to peripheral nests, while older storks have access to higher breeding success while occupying the better quality nests toward the centres of breeding colonies, creating somewhat of a hierarchy.

REPRODUCTION
You can spot the white stork breeding in open farmlands with access to marshy wetlands, building a large stick nest in trees, on buildings, or on purpose-built man-made platforms and even previously mentioned electrical posts and even chimneys.

Each nest is around 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) in depth, around 0.8–1.5 m (2.6–4.9 ft) in diameter and weighs 60–250 kg (130–550 lb).

These nests are not persecuted as it is viewed as a good omen, it often nests close to human habitation and in some countries is considered a national treasure. In southern Europe, nests can be seen on churches and other buildings.

The nest is typically used year after year especially by older males, so you might observe the surroundings growing old along with the Stork.

The males arrive earlier in the season and choose the nests and larger nests are associated with greater numbers of young successfully fledged, and appear to be sought after.

Nest change is often related to a change in the pairing and failure to raise young the previous year, as if moving away from a failed marrienge and younger birds are more likely to change nesting sites as if to move out from their parens house, quite human if you ask me.

Although a pair may be found to occupy a nest, partners may change several times during the early stages to test water and find the right match.

The breeding activities begin only after a stable pairing is achieved, quite human, once again. No wonder these birds are great national symbols and are protected and greatly loved.

TRIVIA
The White Stork has also gained a large place in the folklore due to its grand stature, longevity and the fact that it tends to live close to human activity, usually nesting around or even on the buildings humans occupy, so if you end up seeing your life through in the countryside, you can bet to have a stork companion along with you.

You can read more about White Stork here - https://avibirds.com/white-stork/

#avibirds #bird #birdwatching #whitestork #ciconiaciconia