Black Stork

Facts

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

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.

How this animal should be kept

Enclosures or aviaries should have a surface of at least 50 m² per pair. For each additional adult 10 m² more are required. A dry shelter should be provided but no indoor enclosures are necessary.

Enclosures and aviaries should have natural vegetation and shallow ponds or pools. Dead trees for nesting and sleeping should be provided, and, in spring, sufficient branches and twigs should be available for nest building.

Black storks should be kept at least in pairs Within their natural breeding range it is recommended not to keep white storks pinioned or in aviaries, but to establish free-living colonies, as far as this is permitted by national legislation. Ideally, food supply should be reduced encouraging the birds to forage outside the zoo, and they should be allowed to migrate.

Enclosures or aviaries should have a surface of at least 50 m² per pair. For each additional adult 10 m² more are required. A dry shelter should be provided but no indoor enclosures are necessary.

Enclosures and aviaries should have natural vegetation and shallow ponds or pools. Dead trees for nesting and sleeping should be provided, and, in spring, sufficient branches and twigs should be available for nest building.

Black storks should be kept at least in pairs. The keeping of solitary animals should be avoided.

Storks are exclusively carnivore. They should be fed one-day-old chicks, small mammals such as rats and mice, meat strips, insects and similar.