White stork

Habitat in Poland White stork is a typical Polish bird. It is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. White stork settles the entire country. However, the most nests from white stork is in the North-East Poland.

Characteristics The white stork is a large bird with a white head and black tips to the wings. The legs and bill are red. Young storks have black legs and bills until their first autumn. White stork has a length of 100-115 cm and a standing height of 100-125 cm. It is weight 2.3-4.5 kg.

Distribution Historically found throughout Europe, the white stork suffered decline around the Second World War. However, it has started to recover in France, Switzerland and Italy. These are migratory birds that spend the summer in Europe migrating to south of the Sahara.

Feeding White stork eats a wide variety of prey items including insects, frogs, toads, fish, rodents, snakes, lizards, earthworms, and other prey found on the ground. They hunt mainly during the day, swallowing small prey whole, but killing and breaking apart larger prey before swallowing.

Come back to Poland Each spring, Poland welcomes home roughly 25 percent of the nearly 325,000 white storks that breed in Europe. When the storks return from their wintering grounds in Africa, they are attracted to tall trees or buildings where they build nests that often weigh up several tons.

Storks nest Stork nests are huge: some old nests may be over 6 ft (2 m) in diameter and nearly 9 ft (3 m) in depth. They are constructed of branches and sticks and lined with twigs, grasses, sod, rags, and paper. Some nests have been in continuous use for hundreds of years.

In flight white storks fly with their necks outstretched. White stork can fly 200 kilometers for one day.

Reproduction Most White Storks are monogamous and pair for life. Female storks lay 2 – 5 chalky-white eggs which are laid at two day intervals. Eggs hatch after 33 – 34 days of incubation. The incubation period is shared between both parents. After hatching, both parents take turns to feed the chicks. Food is placed on the edge of the nest by the parents but water is provided by regurgitation

Clattering of stork

Photography

Performed: Mateusz Waloszczyk cl. 1b School: Publiczne Gimnazjum im. Jana Pawła II w Dobrodzieniu Province: Opolskie