The stork is a large bird, on high legs, with long neck and long beak. His wings are very large and beautiful. The color of the feathers is mostly white, only the ends of the wings are shiny, black.
Storks live where there are vast wet meadows, swamps and stagnant ponds. They arrange nests on the roofs of houses, in trees located in villages or close to them. Recently, storks have been making nests on high-voltage line supports, on factory chimneys. If there are few places suitable for nesting, fights arise between birds. The same pair of storks can live in the nest for several years.
The nests of storks are large, a meter or more in diameter. Nest building lasts up to 10 days. Occasionally, white storks build a second nest, which serves them for sleeping or as a guard post.
In winter, storks fly to warmer climes. Older birds set off earlier or later than younger ones, but they never fly with them. Shortly before departure, white storks gather in flocks; on wintering grounds, they sometimes stay in thousands of clusters. Departure begins at the end of August, sometimes delayed until October. Birds fly during the day and at high altitude.
White storks feed on animal food, eat frogs, lizards, various insects, molluscs, fish and small mice, small hares and speckled ground squirrels. During feeding, storks slowly walk around, but, noticing the prey, they can quickly run up to it.
Many peoples of the world revere this unusual majestic bird. In Russia, since pagan times, the stork was considered a bird of fate, a messenger of happiness and prosperity. Even children know the belief that this bird brings babies.
To this day, there is a legend that in the house, over the roof of which a stork builds a nest, happiness will reign, children will grow up healthy, a vegetable garden and a garden will give a bountiful harvest. People believe that these birds are well versed in people: nests are built only near the houses of those who are worthy of happiness. If you ruin a nest or kill a bird, then misfortune will come to the house.
If the stork himself left the nest on the roof and carried the chicks, there will be a fire in the house or lightning will fall into it.
There is such a legend. Once God gave a man a bag of reptiles and ordered him to throw it into the sea, into the fire, bury it in a hole, or leave it on top of a mountain. Out of curiosity, the man untied the bag, and all the evil spirits spread over the ground. Then, as a punishment, God turned a man into a stork so that he would cleanse the earth of reptiles - snakes, hedgehogs. From shame, the stork's nose and legs turned red.
It is believed that storks have a human soul, understand the language of a person, cry tears, pray to God (this is their scream), celebrate weddings together.
Well, who has not heard of such a beautiful bird as a stork. Many legends go about this feathered. This bird is considered a symbol of happiness and kindness. In the old days, many villages in Holland and the Balkans could boast of having a stork's nest. We have only two types of storks - white and black. The article will tell you more about these beautiful creatures.
White stork
The most famous for children and adults is the white stork. It can be found in the picture in the primer, as well as in many books for preschool and school age. Exactly, white stork very fond of depicting artists. Despite the fact that it is called white, the feathers of the bird are not painted in one color. The ends of the stork's wings are black. These birds can live both in swampy areas and next to humans. They don't see people as dangerous.
Their life expectancy is 20 or 22 years.
When they life cycle ends, then the weight of the nest of birds by that time is one hundred kilograms. After the death of adult birds, their children enter into the inheritance rights of the nest. As for food, storks eat mainly frogs, lizards, etc. They feed their children with May beetles or worms. In their beak they bring water to them. Within two months, the babies are able to find their own food. In winter, birds fly to warmer climes. Basically - it's Africa or India.
Black stork
Enough rare bird both in our country and throughout the world, there is a black stork. In its own way appearance he also looks like a white stork. Its only difference is the color. Most of its plumage is painted black. Due to the fact that the bird is not often found in nature, people who follow the animals from the "red book" know almost all the habitats of this species. If some new nest appears, then science must definitely find out about it. Unlike the white stork, the black one is more careful. He builds his nest away from the prying eyes of others. Deaf forests become the very place where the stork decides to stay to live. But it’s still quite easy to find out where the feathered place of residence is. The bird often likes to fly over its nest. Otherwise, the two species of storks are similar. They winter in the same countries, eat the same food, and also build nests according to the same principle.
Red book for black stork
As mentioned above, black storks are listed in the "red book". They are looked after by special organizations for protection. environment. In countries where birds live and where birds spend the winter, they talk with tourists about what cannot be destroyed quiet life storks, that is, you can’t throw stones at birds, make loud sounds that can scare birds, and, even more so, you can’t hunt these beautiful and rare creatures. It is especially important to follow all these rules when the mating season begins in birds. Only to destroy their population is strictly prohibited at any time. Violators expect big problems.
Conclusion about storks
storks - beautiful birds that you can look at endlessly. They definitely have something special. Perhaps in some ways they are similar to people. Most likely it is that they value and extol their family very much. Since ancient times, some of these beautiful representatives of birds have decided that you can trust a person and he will not touch their nests. Over time, these wonderful birds became less and less. Only by the efforts of all the surrounding people is it possible to preserve and increase black and white storks. In a world where an animal, bird or any other living being is friends with a person, there will always be peace and tranquility. To much to my regret or to great joy, people today cannot see dinosaurs. If at that time there were talented scientists, they would still have managed to save at least some herbivorous dinosaur.
Surely, at the entrance to the zoo or reserve there would be a queue of those who would like to look at the outlandish animal that lived many centuries ago. So the task of specialists of the 21st century is to preserve animals from the "red book". Let's not interfere with them and let's just enjoy the beauty and superiority of these magnificent storks. And may they always delight us with their life, which is so necessary for us.
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Latin name– Ciconia ciconia
English name– 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 Agriculture reducing the food base 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
About the white stork different peoples There are many legends and beliefs. 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.
AT Ancient Rome there was a "stork law", according to which adult children were obliged to take care of 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 Southeastern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia and Transcaucasia, southeastern regions 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 - 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 mistress), there is an obvious struggle 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.
Appearance. A stork is considered enough big bird(adult weight about 4 kg), reaching a length of up to 120 cm. True, a black tint can be seen on the flight and long shoulder feathers. Red color is taken by the iris of the eye, beak and legs. The legs and neck are extended during the flight.
Where to meet the white stork, his family and chicks, where he flies in winter
habitats. The white stork lives in open area forests and steppes.
Food. Small fish, along with frogs, are the main food of the stork, although sometimes he can eat snakes, lizards, various types of insects and chicks of other representatives of birds, as well as slugs, mice and ground squirrels. nesting sites. The settlements of the western part of Russia are nesting places that the white stork mainly occupies. It is worth noting that other representatives of storks could not take root in conditions of active human activity.
Location and nest building material. The stork nests in elevated areas, which can be a tree, the roof of a wooden building, or a completely dilapidated building. On a tree for nesting, areas of dry branches located low above the ground at a level of 3-5 m, or a top of an already destroyed tree well illuminated by the sun, are selected. For the nest, various thick dry branches and twigs are selected with the addition of rotten straw and hay. Good pliable material - feathers, wool, hay, straw, felt rags and paper pieces - is used to line the tray.
Nest, its shape and size. Due to the fact that storks are able to use their nests for a long time, periodically repairing and building on them, the perennial nest turns out to be large, reaching up to one and a half meters in diameter. The height is the same, however, at a freshly built nest, it is approximately 40-50 cm.
Egg laying and its features. The female white stork is able to lay from 2 to 4 eggs, more often there are four. The eggs are 7.1-7.8x5-5.7 cm in size, without a pattern (they differ from the eggs of the black stork in their yellowish shell), as a result of prolonged incubation, they lose their whiteness.
Nesting dates. In the second half of March or early April, stork couples arrive, as a result of which eggs can be laid already in May, which both male and female will incubate for 33-34 days. Only in the second half of July, chicks at the age of 54-63 days leave their nests, and by seventy days of their life they acquire complete independence. Young storks at the end of August or the first weeks of September fly to Africa for wintering.
Distribution area. The prevalence of the white stork in Russia is not wide. This species of storks occupies mainly the western end of the Russian border, moving eastward up to the regions of Pskov, Smolensk, Oryol and Kaluga region. Separately lives in the eastern part of the Transcaucasian republics, rarely - in Dagestan; the white stork is also found in the Central Asian lands, where it occupies some part of Uzbekistan. In addition, the favorite nesting areas of the white stork are southwestern Ukraine and the rest of Europe.
Man and white stork: the benefits of a bird for nature and people
Economic purpose. It is believed that the stork contributes to the extermination of locusts, when, on its rare flights to grain fields and areas of the steppe, it begins to hunt for countless hordes of these harmful insects. On the other hand, although the stork can eat some types of snakes (for example, a completely harmless snake), nevertheless, it sometimes causes damage to the brood of agricultural birds - small chickens and ducklings, when they roam freely around the yard.
The white stork keeps many beliefs and legends about itself (also many), from time immemorial symbolizing longevity and marital fidelity (as well as). But it is worth noting that the apparent strong closeness of the stork couple is very illusory, because often the male does not neglect the new female, if he did not wait for his first darling, who was late from wintering. So there can be a big conflict between two females in the nest.
Which of the people does not come to mind the whole peculiar appearance of the stork, as soon as you hear the name of this white bird? If you think sensibly, then a very small number of representatives of birds have earned their attention from people. Since the white stork, for some reason mysterious to scientists, for some reason tends to coexist next to a person, without moving far from the human habitat, we can say that the natural (natural or “wild”, in human terms) habitat is not typical for stork family.
Often this bird nests on the roofs of houses, large sheds, chimneys of abandoned factories, on garden or park trees. By the way, white stork nesting sites are found not only in conditions countryside, but also in large urban centers - Bukhara can serve as an example.
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.
