When it comes to talking about what the white stork eats, for some reason everyone remembers frogs first (remember yourself), although they do not form the basis of its diet. This representative is unpretentious to food; it catches all kinds of small animals found underfoot - from worms to small rodents. It was only possible to swallow. But, first of all, the stork feeds on a variety of insects; in dry areas they can account for up to 99 percent of the prey.
Storks swallow their prey whole. All kinds of small things are swallowed immediately, and large insects and rodents are first killed with blows of the beak, and then only eaten. Sometimes you can see how a stork, before eating, “chews” a caught mouse with its beak for a while, as if tasting it. Maybe he can play, letting her go and then grabbing her again, like a kitten. Large and dry prey, if there is water nearby, the stork first rinses in it for some time until it becomes such that it can be easily swallowed. It also first washes contaminated caught frogs and fish.
Birds search for prey on the ground or in shallow water. They don’t like to go far into the water - you rarely see a stork at a depth of more than 20-30 centimeters. Hunting techniques can be varied. More often, storks actively search for prey. Everyone is familiar with the picture: a stork walks sedately in the grass. At the same time, he can make sudden throws, freeze in place, and sometimes even beat with his wings. Birds often accompany herds of cows, herds of horses, working tractors or combines.
The favorite feeding place of storks is fresh mowing. You can see these birds even near a fire strip in the grass. This doesn’t happen often here, but in Africa storks like to gather where local residents burn the savannah during the dry season. As soon as they see the smoke, birds from everywhere begin to flock to the fire, concentrating behind the wall of fire. They walk along the still smoking burnt stems and catch insects. Sometimes hundreds of birds gather at such fires. Storks also fly into a freshly plowed field, collecting worms and insect larvae.
Another hunting option is waiting for prey, which is typical for herons. The stork is able to keep watch near a mouse hole, waiting for one of its inhabitants to stick his nose out. As a rule, the duration of such waiting does not exceed several minutes, but once a bird was observed “guarding” a mouse hole for 20 minutes. In muddy, shallow water bodies, the stork often hunts “by touch”: it moves its beak through the water, quickly closing and opening it until it comes across a tadpole or something else. It collects earthworms by probing soft soil with its beak. The stork can also catch flying prey, for example, dragonflies or other insects. Sometimes he even knocks them down with his wings. When kept in captivity, he quickly learns to grab food thrown to him with his beak, as dogs do.
Among the insects in the stork's diet there are such dangerous pests as the beetle beetle, the turtle bug, various beetles, and the beet weevil. But most of all he loves the so-called Orthoptera. These include grasshoppers, crickets, tops and the notorious locust. At wintering sites in Africa, storks eat so many locusts that in the languages of a number of African tribes the white stork is called “locust eater” or “locust bird”. The fame of the destroyer of this dangerous pest is so entrenched in it that in Afrikaans (the language of the white population of the Republic of South Africa) even one of the official scientific names for the white stork is “large locust bird.” However, it is justified to some extent for Ukraine. In the past there were many devastating “raids” of locusts in the southern provinces. Even now, despite the huge arsenal chemicals combat and the use of aviation, it can turn flourishing lands into a barren desert in a matter of days. One can imagine what a disaster locusts were for peasants earlier.
The stork also prevents the descent of the peasants’ “favorite” - the spinning top or the “cabbage grower”. Anyone who has a vegetable garden can tell a lot about it. As studies have shown in various European countries, from Spain to former USSR, in the stork’s diet, tops make up from 5-10% to a third in summer. Ornithologist A.P. Nettle studied the feeding of the white stork in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. It turned out that in the food that adult birds brought to the chicks, tops made up about 8% by number and almost 14% by weight. One portion brought to the connector contained as many as 113 mole crickets! In the Masurian Lake District (Poland), 31% of white storks contained the remains of click beetle larvae (wireworms), 14% - weevils, 16% - thistles.
In years with outbreaks in the number of mouse-like rodents, they are eaten in large numbers not only by white storks, but also by black storks, which feed mainly on small fish and other aquatic animals. So, according to F.I. Strautman, in 1946 in the Irshavsky district of the Transcarpathian region, during a surge in the number of mouse-like rodents, several specimens of mice and voles were found in the stomachs of killed black storks.
The hunting efficiency of storks can be quite good. According to calculations made in Poland, one bird caught 44 mice, 2 young hamsters and one frog within an hour, the second caught 25-30 crickets per minute! Continuous observations of one stork carried out by scientists showed that it caught at least 1037 different animals over the course of 10.5 hours, an average of 1.6 per minute. The hunting success of birds depends on terrain conditions and the type of prey, but on average, about half of the attacks are effective.
The daily requirement of an adult stork is about 700 grams of food. In the summer, in order to feed themselves and raise an ever-hungry crowd of chicks, birds have to search for prey almost all daylight hours. According to the calculations of Polish ornithologists, a medium-sized stork family - a pair of adult birds and 2-3 babies - consumes about 2.5 centners of food during the period of feeding the chicks. To raise offspring, storks must receive approximately one and a half kilograms of earthworms, a kilogram of frogs, or 700 grams of small rodents every day.
Apparently, it was not in vain that the people believed that a village in which many storks nest may not worry too much about a good harvest. According to scientists, the destruction of locusts and many other dangerous pests was one of the reasons why in the distant past the stork was respected as a sacred bird.
V.M. Grishchenko (www.birdlife.org.ua)
Latin name- Ciconia nigra
English name- Black stork
Class- birds (Aves)
Squad- storks (Ciconiiformes)
Family- storks (Ciconiidae)
The black stork is a rare, very cautious and secretive bird. Unlike its closest relative - the white stork - it always stays away from people, settling in remote, hard-to-reach places.
Conservation status
Despite its extensive range, the black stork is certainly a rare, vulnerable species. In Russia, its numbers are steadily declining, the area of suitable nesting sites is shrinking, and the total number of the species in our country does not exceed 500 nesting pairs. The species is included in the Red Book of Russia and neighboring countries - Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan. There are a number of international bilateral agreements on the protection of the black stork (with Japan, Korea, India, China).
Species and man
The black stork avoids all communication with humans and is very sensitive to anxiety. Only in some areas in the south and west of its range did the species become more tolerant of humans and began to settle near populated areas and feed in farmland.
Distribution and habitats
The black stork's range is very large. It is distributed from of Eastern Europe before Far East, Korea and China. Isolated nesting areas exist on the Iberian Peninsula, Turkey, Transcaucasia, Iran, and the foothills Central Asia, in South East Africa.
In Russia, the black stork is distributed from the Baltic Sea and through the Urals along the 60-61 parallel and throughout Southern Siberia to the Far East. There are separate isolated populations in Chechnya, Dagestan, Stavropol region. Largest quantity black storks in Russia nest in the Primorsky Territory, and the world's largest breeding population lives in the Zvanets reserve in Belarus.
The black stork settles in dense old forests on the plains and in the foothills near reservoirs - forest lakes, rivers, swamps. It rises into the mountains to a level of 2000m.
Appearance
In size, the black stork differs little from its white relative. Its length is about 1 m, body weight up to 3 kg, wingspan - 1.5-2 m. The color is black with a strong metallic sheen (green, purple, bronze). The belly and lower part of the wings are white. The legs, unfeathered skin around the eyes and beak are red. Females and males are colored the same.
In young birds, the black color is replaced by a brownish color, without a metallic sheen; the legs, beak and bare areas of skin on the head are gray-greenish.
Lifestyle and social organization
Black stork - migrant. Its main wintering grounds are in tropical areas of Asia and Africa. Only in South Africa There is an isolated sedentary population of this stork. They arrive at nesting sites in March-April, fly away in September, and do not form large aggregations during migration.
In flight, the black stork stretches its neck forward and its legs back. And he, like other species of storks, often soars freely in the air, wings spread wide. Perhaps the only opportunity to see a black stork in nature is when it hovers over the nest.
The black stork, like the white stork, rarely gives voice, but its “conversational” repertoire is much richer. In flight, it emits a loud, quite pleasant to the ear, cry, and in mating season hisses loudly. The black stork is also characterized by coughing throat sounds and screeching sounds. But it cracks its beak, as white storks do, very rarely.
Black storks are active only during the daytime.
Nutrition and feeding behavior
It feeds mainly on fish, frogs, and aquatic invertebrates. It feeds in shallow water, in swamps, and in water meadows near water bodies. The feeding area of black storks is very large; they fly for food 5-10, and sometimes 15 km from the nest.
In wintering grounds it also feeds on small rodents, mollusks, large insects, and occasionally catches snakes and lizards.
Reproduction and parental behavior.
Black storks are monogamous, and their pairs remain for life, but outside the breeding season, the partners remain independent of each other.
Black storks nest in single pairs, in the forest zone on trees at a height of 10-20 m above the ground, in mountainous and treeless areas - on rock ledges. The nest is built from large branches, secured with earth or turf and lined with grass. The nest is massive, it is renewed every year and sometimes reaches just gigantic size– up to 1-1.5 m in diameter. A pair of black storks occupies the same nest for several years (there is a known case in Belovezhskaya Pushcha - 14 years). Sometimes the same nest is occupied by several generations of storks. However, on the nesting site of storks there are also several nests, which the pair occupies alternately. Sometimes black storks settle in the nests of large birds of prey.
The mating season begins immediately after arrival in March-April. The male usually arrives first, repairs the nest and invites the female to it. At the same time, he throws his head onto his back, fluffs up the white feathers on his tail, whistles hoarsely and knocks his beak. If a couple is building a new nest, the male brings building material, and the female lays branches and fastens them with earth. The edges of the black stork's nest are painted with white streaks of excrement, in contrast to the neater nests of large birds of prey.
The clutch of a black stork contains from 2 to 5 eggs, which the female lays at intervals of 2 days; The eggs are matte white in color. Often 1-2 eggs in a clutch are unfertilized. Both birds incubate in turn, and incubation begins with the first egg. Incubation period lasts 32-46 days.
Hatched chicks of different ages are covered with thick white or grayish down; their beak is short and bright pink. Unlike adult birds, black stork chicks are quite noisy: they croak loudly, hiss and chirp. In the first 10 days of life, the chicks can only lie helplessly in the nest, then they begin to sit and only on the 35-40th day of life are they able to stand in the nest. Parents feed them 4-5 times a day, regurgitating the food they bring. The entire feeding period lasts 63-71 days.
Young black storks become sexually mature in the 3rd year of life.
Lifespan
In nature, according to banding data, black storks live up to 18 years; in captivity, a record period of 31 years.
Life at the Zoo
There is one pair of black storks living in our zoo. In summer they can always be seen in the aviary near the bird house, and in winter they spend most of their time indoors. In 2014 and 2015, the storks successfully bred, feeding 3 chicks each year. Adult storks incubated the clutches and fed the chicks on their own.
The diet of black storks at the zoo includes 350 g of fish, 350 g of meat, 2 mice and 5 frogs.
The house near which the storks have built a nest becomes a haven of endless happiness.
Translated from Hebrew, “stork” means “merciful” or “devout.” IN Ancient Rome There was a “stork law”, according to which grown-up children were obliged to take care of their elderly parents. It was believed that storks fed their parents. In many other cultures, the stork is also a symbol of kindness and happiness.
In fact, not everything is so simple with this bird!
Types of storks
There are over 17 species of storks known on planet Earth. They all belong to the ankle species, and are approximately the same in appearance: long neck, legs and beak, large wings, light body. They build huge nests and live in them for several years. Species of storks differ in color, size and shape of the beak, as well as the presence of bald patches in the plumage in some species.
The most famous species is the white stork, it has a height of one meter to 120 cm and a weight of about 4 kg. The wingspan of such a bird reaches two meters! But for all its advantages, the white stork is mute; it can only hiss and click its beak.
The lesser-known black stork differs from the others in its color; it is completely black on top and has a white belly. Unlike the white stork, it has a voice.
Three species of yabiru storks (African, Brazilian and Indian) are very different from the above in their color. African and Indian yabiru have a pronounced black color with a metallic tint. Plus, the African jabiru is distinguished by a massive, bright striped beak of yellow-black-red color. The Indian jabiru has a completely black beak.
And the Brazilian yabiru has white plumage, although its neck and head are completely hairless and grayish in color. The beak is long and slightly curved upward.
The most prominent species of stork is the marabou. Even the name itself sounds exotic! Its head is bald, and its neck, when at rest, folds into soft folds, forming a “pillow” on which the bird’s powerful beak “rests.” The height reaches one and a half meters, and the wingspan is almost three!
Where they live, where they fly
Lifestyle different types differs due to their habitat. White, black and Far Eastern storks lead a monogamous lifestyle. This is due to the fact that these species migrate to warm regions for the winter. They winter, as a rule, in India or South Asia, flying away in September-October and returning in February-March.
White storks inhabit temperate latitudes. They prefer lowlands, swampy places, and standing bodies of water. Nests are made on the crowns of spreading trees or on the roofs of houses.
Stork settlements.
Group settlements of white storks are not uncommon, when several nests are built at once on one wide area or edge.
The Far Eastern stork lives in the northern latitudes of Russia; it is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. For its nests, it chooses remote places away from humans, but as close to water bodies as possible.
The black stork is a hermit, choosing for its permanent residence remote places, remote from humans and from relatives. This species inhabits almost all of our forests, from eastern to western outposts, as well as Altai, southern Kazakhstan and the Tien Shan. It is also an endangered species and is protected by law from extermination.
Yabiru and marabou inhabit warm countries and therefore do not fly anywhere for the winter.
Marabou inhabit the territory tropical Africa, south of the Sahara. They nest mainly in trees, mainly baobab trees, and also on steep cliffs. This is the friendliest (in relation to relatives) species of stork: they settle in colonies, quite close to each other, get along well with smaller neighbors and even look after the nearest nests.
Yabiru prefer papyrus forests and swampy places near rivers. They are incorrigible loners. The specific countries in which they prefer to live can be guessed from the names of their species. The African yabiru lives in southern Africa, sometimes in the vastness of Australia. Indian yabiru in the jungles of India and Pakistan, occasionally in the countries of South Asia. The Brazilian yabiru is found from Mexico to Argentina.
What do storks eat?
It's time to remember the fairy tale about the “merciful” bird. This may seem strange, but the stork is a predator! Moreover, this feature applies to all types of storks, from white to marabou.
The stork's menu consists of a wide range of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, small birds and insects.
In addition to all of the above, the white stork also eats the eggs of other birds and even rabbits.
Far Eastern and black storks enjoy eating fish.
Marabou is very different from its relatives here too. In terms of nutrition, he is an analogue of our wolf - the “orderly” of the forests, feeds on carrion, thereby clearing the expanses of Africa from breeding grounds for infections. At the same time, he does not hesitate to occasionally feast on reptiles and small mammals. If none of the above is nearby, a marabou can “kill the worm” even with a small crocodile or flamingo!
Yabiru eats large amphibians, fish and semi-aquatic vertebrates.
Reproduction
It was already mentioned above that storks are eagerly awaited by families where they want to have children. But what are storks like as parents? We have to admit that in the life cycle of these beautiful birds The law of survival also applies.
If we remember about the species of storks that lead a migratory lifestyle (white, Far Eastern and black), then they live for twenty years, and they begin to “start a family” at about six. Females and males are almost indistinguishable from each other, unless the female is slightly smaller than the male. Storks do not shine with loyalty.
Returning from the south.
The first of warm countries The males return, begin to arrange their nest, and finish putting it in order in the company of females.
Females arrive later than males, and it often happens that two females can fly to the same male at once. They decide which of them will remain in a fair fight; the male does not take part in this matter, he only watches from the side. If a male flies to a nest already occupied by a pair of storks, the owner of the nest hisses at him threateningly and aggressively clicks his beak.
One pair of storks has a clutch of one to seven eggs at a time. Most often it is four eggs. Storks hatch their eggs in turns, the female at night and the male during the day. In this way, the optimal temperature for the offspring is maintained and its constant protection is maintained.
Offspring
The chicks hatch 34-35 days after the eggs are laid. The chicks are born sighted, but completely helpless. And here the same cruel law of survival comes into play: storks mercilessly throw sick or “defective” chicks out of the nest, thereby giving strong chicks a chance to feed more densely and gain strength. The parents also feed the chicks in turn, first with worms, later with frogs, mice and other small mammals. And they give the babies water to drink, bringing liquid in the beak and even in small pieces of moss, “squeezing” water out of them directly into the beaks of the storks.
First flights.
After about two months, the chicks become strong enough to not only stand on their feet, but also make short flights in the company of their parents.
And after three months, the chicks are ready to fly independently to warmer climes. They fly away before their parents, and, of course, do not feed them in old age, as the ancient Romans thought. In wintering areas, neither the parents nor the storks, having met, recognize each other.
The method of reproduction, laying eggs and raising chicks for all species of storks is approximately the same, so differences are not considered within the scope of this article. There have been cases in zoos of a black stork courting a female white stork, and people have attempted to crossbreed the two species. But the attempts were unsuccessful, since the courtship rituals of these species are very different from each other.
Livestock protection
The stork is a protected bird. The white stork is quite numerous, sometimes it is even exterminated for the destruction of the “stock” of frogs in the vicinity of human settlements, since frogs eat midges, mosquitoes and gadflies, and with a shortage of these amphibians, insects greatly annoy cows, reducing milk yield.
The Far Eastern and black storks are under strict protection of the law and their extermination threatens not only a fine, but also imprisonment. Such strict measures are due to the fact that the species are on the verge of extinction, the number of storks living in given time on earth, there are barely 630-750 pairs. And we need to think about this seriously.
These amazing birds differ from others not only in their beauty, but also in their extraordinary grace. In terms of external parameters, they are similar to a heron, only larger in size.
And the stork’s nest stands out among others in its shape and size. What is so special about it? You can find out where and from what these birds build their nests by reading this article.
Beliefs about the stork
In lovingly called Bela Busel, and in Ukraine - Chernoguz or Leleka. There are no birds in the world with which so many legends, signs and beliefs are associated, and they are all quite sweet and kind.
The very first sign that comes to mind is that the stork is a bird that brings children into families. In the old days, treats were specially laid out for storks on the windows of huts for the sake of bringing children into the house. And cart wheels were installed on the roofs so that storks could make their homes there.
It was believed that a stork’s nest on the roof of a house would definitely bring happiness and peace to its owners. And the number of stork chicks also had a certain meaning - the number of chicks, the number of children expected in the family.
Both white and black storks live in nature, the former being the most common.
Stork habitats
The white stork is the national bird. The highest nesting density of this species of birds has been recorded on the territory of this state. Storks usually nest solitarily, but large colonial settlements are also found.
They live in almost all regions of Europe, including the Russian European part. They also exist in Asia (for example, in Uzbekistan).
Storks make their nests in a variety of different and unexpected places, even in some of them. They are not at all afraid of people and settle on trees and roofs of houses in rural settlements.
Many village residents specially prepare places to make it easier for birds to set up nests - they install poles with circles, cut off excess branches on trees. Civilization and people do not frighten storks at all. However, birds still remain wary of humans.
General information about stork nests
This amazingly beautiful and noble bird builds a very large nest (up to 1.5 meters in diameter). The weight of such a home can reach 250 kg. Basically, the stork builds a nest on the roof of a structure built by man, or on broken tree tops near bodies of water (rivers and lakes) or swamps.
As a rule, one nest is used by storks for years. Birds always return to their old home, and the males arrive earlier and guard it until the female returns. But before hatching the chicks, the nest is again put in order and repaired, so its size increases every year. The height is usually 50 centimeters, and the old nest as a result of such reconstructions can reach a height of even 1.5 meters.
In Germany, the oldest stork nest has been used by birds for 381 years.
What is the nest made of?
Storks build nests from twigs and large branches. They line the tray with hay, old grass and straw. Sometimes old rags, wool, paper, etc. are used as lining at the bottom of the nest.
With all this, each nest is built differently. All storks have their own peculiarity in planning the construction of a cozy nest. For example, there is a difference in the construction of nests between white and black storks, about which more detailed information is presented below.
White storks
The most famous of all birds of this species is the white stork, which in Russia nests in the European part of the country. Its wintering places are Africa and India.
The height of the bird is 120 centimeters, its weight is four kilograms. Distinctive feature it lies in the fact that the stork does not have a voice, but instead knocks with half of its beak, making certain sounds that are understandable to almost all surrounding birds.
White storks are monogamous. In a repaired nest, after returning from wintering, they lay from 1 to 7 eggs, then incubate them alternately (both female and male) for about 34 days.
They prefer to settle along the banks of bodies of water: rivers, lakes, swamps. These birds swim, fly, and move surprisingly easily on land (even run after prey). The white stork reaches speeds of up to 45 km per hour in flight. During sleep, he stands on one leg, periodically changing it.
White stork nest
The white stork's nest (outer side) is built from tree branches, the thickness of which reaches even several centimeters. The inside is lined with thinner and softer branches, and plant stems, turf, earth, manure, straw and hay are often found in its walls. The lower part is lined with a rather thick layer of softer material - moss, hay, leaves, dry grass, wool, etc.
You can also find a wide variety of garbage in the nest - old rags, films, papers, pieces of rope, etc.
In Russia, the oldest nests of white storks (about 35 years old) were discovered in the Tver and Kaluga regions. IN Western Europe(in Germany, Poland and Hungary) there are nests that are more than 100 years old.
Black storks
Black storks live in the mountains and forests. They prefer to nest in places inaccessible to people, and lay about 5 eggs. They are also caring parents; both the female and the male take turns incubating the eggs.
The weight of a black stork is approximately three kilograms. The legs, neck and beak are long. The wingspan reaches 2 meters. During the flight, the stork beautifully stretches its legs and neck, smoothly and slowly flaps its wings.
Unlike the white one, the black stork has a voice. Among other things, the black one, in comparison with the white one, is more thorough in designing its nest - it carefully lays out the branches, using clay and earth.
About stork chicks
After the storks have built a nest and the chicks have hatched from the hatched eggs, the real fuss begins. Parents will feed them from morning to evening. They are always busy looking for water and food for their chicks. From birth, storks feed on insects.
The food that the chicks grab on the fly is thrown into their mouths from the beaks of their parents. And the water smoothly flows into the beak of the chicks. All this happens within the first two months. The chicks feed very well and gain weight quite quickly.
Storks have a not very pleasant feature - they get rid of sick and weakened chicks.
Young birds that have become stronger and matured begin to look for food on their own, without their parents. They feed on snakes, insects, lizards, frogs, various rodents, etc.
Today in Ukraine, more and more often you can find a stork’s nest on a power pole, a slightly smaller number of them on trees, and even fewer on water towers. The smallest number of nests is on various buildings.
Stork nests are also found on rocks. For example, in Portugal in 1994, more than 2% of nests were built on them. Old dwellings are also found in ruins, on monuments, towers, on straw stacks, heaps of dry branches and manure. There are known cases of nests being detected even on the booms of construction truck cranes and on the ground.
The height of the nest depends on the height of the support. It varies from 0 (on the ground) to several tens of meters (on pipes and other structures). There is a known case of a nest being located on a hundred-meter tower in Spain. Basically, they are built at an average height of 5 to 20 m.
In many regions of Russia, nests are located on water towers, especially in the Kaluga region (73% of nests).
In Lithuania in 1994-2000, storks built a nest on an old tree in 52 percent of cases.
Stork display behavior
For mated and breeding birds, the center of social activity is the nest, where their various displays can be seen. An interesting fact is that outside the nest, partners tend to ignore each other.
Usually in the spring the male returns to the nest first and protects the home from other storks. A pair forms on the nest. The owner greets strangers approaching storks with a characteristic cracking of his beak, throwing back and lowering his head and spreading his wings. At the same time, he still raises his tail and puffs up the feathers on his neck.
If a female flies to the nest, the demonstrations take on a different character after a while - a welcoming ceremony takes place. At the same time, the male, puffing up his feathers and shaking his head from side to side, greets the couple. When an alien male tries to sit on the nest, the owner takes a threatening pose: he stands motionless on bent legs with his legs apart. different sides wings, with the tail raised, and the head and neck extended forward. The stork has many different displays depending on the situation at hand. Fights may also occur.
A beautiful picture (two storks in a nest) can be seen after a pair has formed. Each of the pair greets the partner flying up to the nest with current demonstrations. Often both birds in the nest show off in a “duet”, fingering each other’s feathers, mostly on the neck and head.
Conclusion
A stork on the roof is the most familiar picture for rural areas. Many artists and photographers capture them there.
It should be noted that not everything is so smooth in the world of storks. Often the nests are occupied by other tenants - sparrows, wagtails and starlings, who raise their offspring in the beautiful cozy nest of the owners of the roofs and harbingers of a happy and prosperous life.
"Where the babies come from?" - this question, sounding from the lips of precious children, invariably baffles their parents. And if some adults try to convey reliable information to little ones using gentle methods, others begin to tell tales. The latter category includes the well-known story about the stork. But in this article we will not talk about her at all, but directly about the “delivery” of babies. The appearance of this bird is well known to both adults and children. But at the same time, it is often confused with another representative of the order of storks - the heron. And for good reason, because there are many similarities between them. We’ll talk about the difference between a stork and a heron.
Definitions
StorkStork- a large migratory bird with long legs, neck and beak. It has large beautiful wings, the span of which can reach up to two meters. Belongs to the family of storks of the order volatidae. These birds are excellent flyers; every year they migrate over considerable distances. Representatives of the family are found on all continents, but are most common in countries tropical zone, in hot and temperate latitudes. The most famous of them is the white stork, whose lifespan is about 20 years. Its wings are covered with white at the base and black at the edges. When choosing a habitat, birds give preference to open spaces and areas close to water bodies. Their diet includes mainly small vertebrates. However, storks will not refuse snakes, vipers, frogs and toads either. Worms, beetles, lizards, moles, gophers, small fish– the menu of these picky birds is so varied.
Heron Heron- a large wading bird of the order of storks with long legs and an elongated neck, curved in the shape of the letter S. It lives in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is attached to bodies of water, but adapts well to a wide variety of conditions. Birds living in cold areas fly south for the winter and return in mid-spring. They nest mainly in colonies. They are active not only during the day, but also at night. The most common representative of the species is the gray heron. The bird feeds exclusively on animal food. Being a very agile predator, she eats everyone she can handle. Due to the heron's affinity to bodies of water, the basis of its diet consists of fish, various small vertebrates, mollusks, and crustaceans. Birds also eat land animals in fairly large quantities: rodents, lizards, snakes, etc.
Comparison
It is worth noting that the individuals we are interested in differ quite significantly from each other. We will consider the most significant differentiating factors. Let's begin with characteristic feature The heron has an S-shaped neck. The stork's is absolutely straight. This bird is slightly larger than its relative, its average height is 120 cm, and its weight reaches 4 kg. Herons are more graceful representatives of the fauna world, constantly caring for themselves. Along the perimeter of their body there are small feathers - powders. They are very fragile and crumble easily. Herons sprinkle themselves with these small powder-like particles from time to time. But the “marathon” procedure does not end there. Then the bird begins to “comb its hair” using a special finger with a jagged claw, which acts as a comb. It is worth noting that storks are not so attentive to their appearance. They lack powder and an elongated finger with a claw. As for the size of the heron, its height is on average 100 cm, and its weight is 1.5-2 kg.
Let's talk about the habitat and lifestyle of birds. Herons settle mainly near slowly flowing and swampy bodies of water, due to which they are considered excellent swimmers. They hunt by standing in shallow water, carefully looking for prey around them. Thus, they give preference to fish and other aquatic inhabitants. Birds are active not only during the day, but also at night. Herons also nest near swamps, choosing places hidden from prying eyes: flooded bushes, thickets of reeds or reeds. They place a shelter for future chicks right on the ground. Since birds are quite shy, birds settle away from people. It is worth mentioning that they have a rather loud and harsh voice, which they often speak during the flight.
The difference between a stork and a heron is that the first representative of the fauna world prefers to live and nest in open spaces. He often locates his home on hills, be it tree branches or roofs of houses. This bird cannot be called shy; it often settles in close proximity to people. Storks are not attached to bodies of water. They grab food from the ground as they walk. As a rule, its role is played by various rodents, invertebrates and reptiles. Storks cannot swim and have virtually no voice. Instead of screaming, they knock loudly with their beaks. At night the birds are inactive.
Let's summarize what is the difference between a stork and a heron.
| Stork | Heron |
| Straight neck | The neck is curved in the shape of the letter S |
| The average height is 120 cm, and weight reaches 4 kg | The average height is 100 cm, weight – 1.5-2 kg |
| Powder and jagged claw finger are missing | Along the perimeter of the body there are small feathers - powders, and on the paws there is a finger-comb |
| Often lives far from bodies of water | Lives in slow-moving and swampy bodies of water |
| Builds nests high | Dwellings are located on the ground |
| Not shy, often lives close to people | Settles away from people |
| Can't swim | Is an excellent swimmer |
| Almost voiceless, makes a knocking sound with its beak | Has a loud and ringing voice |
| Food is grabbed from the ground while walking | Hunts in the water |
| Feeds mainly on rodents, invertebrates, and reptiles | The basis of the diet is fish |
| Not active at night | Can stay awake not only during the day, but also at night |