Black Stork
(Ciconia nigra)
Facts
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IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
The black stork is a medium-sized stork, 95 to 100cm tall and weighing around 3 kg, with black head, breast, neck and wings. The belly and under side of the tail are white. The feet and beak are red.
These storks mate for life. Both male and female storks build the nest together and share parental duties. Breeding season begins in May. Two to five eggs are laid in a large stick nest over 2 days. Eggs are incubated by both parents and hatch in about 36 days. Young take flight around the age of 3 months and attain sexual maturity in 3 years.
Black storks hunt for food by wading in shallow water and capturing it with their spear-like beaks
Did you know?
that black storks build unusually large nests? The diameter can measure 1.5 meters and they may be one meter thick.
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | AVES |
| Order | CICONIIFORMES |
| Suborder | CICONIAE |
| Family | CICONIIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Ciconia nigra |
| Name (English) | Black Stork |
| Name (French) | Cigogne noire |
| Name (German) | Schwarzstorch |
| Name (Spanish) | Cigüeña negra |
| Local names | Afrikaans: Swart oiievaar Czech: Cáp cerný Dutch: Zwarte Ooievaar Finnish: Mustahaikara Hungarian: Fekete gólya Italian: Cicogna nera Polish: Bocian czarny Portuguese: Cegonha-preta Slovak: Bocian cierny Swedish, Nowegian: Svart stork |
| CITES Status | Appendix II |
| CMS Status | Appendix II Included in AEWA |
Photo Copyright by
Till Niermann
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Africa, Asia, Europe Originally a palearctic species wintering in Africa, the black stork has in recent decades succeeded in establishing stable breeding populations in Southern Africa. |
| Habitat | Wooded areas, riverside cliffs, lakes, rivers and marshy fields |
| Wild population | Approx. 32'000 - 44'000 (2002) |
| Zoo population | 161 reported to ISIS (2007) |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 17 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Marek Szczepanek
Why do zoos keep this animal
Zoos keep the black stork primarily for educational reasons, as a lesser known native species in Europe, and for comparison with the white stork, which is similar in general morphology, but differs in coliour, and in particular shows a completely different behaviour ("Kulturfolger" versus "Kulturflüchter").
European zoos undertake efforts to maintain a selfsustaining ex situ population under an EEP, and a few zoos have made available birds for reintroduction projects.