Common Name: Black Stork Scientific Name: Ciconia nigra
LEAST CONCERN Black Stork Distribution: Migratory Habitat: Varied, near freshwater Height: Approx. 1m Weight: 3kg Diet: Carnivorous
It is black except for on their belly and under their wings, which is white and its bill and legs are red. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground and like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. They are migratory birds, spending their summers in Eastern and Central Europe, through Central Asia, Mongolia to Northern China and wintering in Africa, India or Southern China. It breeds in marshy wetlands interspersed with both broadleaf and coniferous woodlands, but they will also inhabits hills and mountains with a sufficient network of streams. They fly approximately 100 to 250 km a day with a daily maximum of up to 500 km. They are a shy species unlike the closely related White Stork. Black storks are carnivorous, eating mostly fish, but also amphibians and insects. This stork has a rasping call, but rarely indulges in mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest. It builds a stick nest high in trees.