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5

Black Stork

(Ciconia nigra)
German name(s): "Schwarzstorch"
Size: 0.9-1.05 m; wing span 1.75-2.05 m
Weight: 2.9 kg (average)
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Black Stork at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of adult Black Storks in a shallow wetland, with a Grey Heron at the back (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Lateral view of a Black Stork (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, June 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Black Stork (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, June 2021]

Comparison of a Black Stork with a Grey Heron and a Great (White) Egret (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil Dam, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Black Stork banking to the right; note the six prominent "fingers" (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Black Stork in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Black Stork in flight; note the purple/green iridescence on the neck that is described in field guides but rarely seen this clearly in nature (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, March 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Black Stork in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2018]

Lateral view of a Black Stork in low flight (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug Landscape Park, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, May 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Black Stork in low flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of Black Storks in flight, heading towards their winter quarters; two adults at the top, two juveniles below
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]

Black Storks and other birds making use of a thermal to gain altitude before heading across the strait of Gibraltar to Africa
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Family of Black Storks, adults on the right, immature birds on the left, resting in shallow water together with a small flock of Eurasian Spoonbills in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2015]

Lateral view of a juvenile Black Stork (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Black Stork, with an adult behind (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]

Food, Diet

Lateral view of a Black Stork with its catch, a fish; in the background a Great [White] Egret (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Black Stork with its catch, a fish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2018]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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