Fun Woolly-necked Stork Facts For Kids
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The woolly necked stork (Ciconia episcopus) is a beautiful migratory bird often found in the farmlands of Asia and Africa. The family genus is Ciconia, they are often found in wetlands, it is very rare to find a woolly necked stork (Ciconia episcopus) in coastal areas, as these are famous as widespread tropical species.
They are considered residents of Africa, although they very actively migrate to Asia and countries like India and Indonesia. Plenty of north-south movements are also noticed but mainly they are considered African.
These birds emerge from the Ciconiidae family and are considered large wading birds, they are also considered an active resident breeder in many wetlands and places. It is common for a white bishop stork to be seen in a pair, as these birds often live in a group of four to five or just in a pair.
To learn more about such birds of the world make sure to check our articles on marabou storks and wood storks!
Woolly-necked Stork Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a woolly-necked stork?
A woolly necked stork bishop is a type of bird and belongs to the family Ciconiidae and genus Ciconia.
What class of animal does a woolly-necked stork belong to?
A woolly necked stork, Ciconia episcopus, belongs to the Aves class. All the birds are mainly classified under the Aves class.
How many woolly-necked storks are there in the world?
A woolly necked stork (Ciconia episcopus) is a very beautiful bird, which is one of the reasons why these birds are constantly under the threat of shooting or hunting. The IUCN has put these birds under the red list.
However, there are some areas where these species are doing incredibly well and their population seems to be growing. In areas such as India and Nepal, these birds have a population of 200,000-300,000. In other regions such as Indonesia, they are considered Near Threatened.
Where does a woolly-necked stork live?
These species are migratory birds and they are spread over a large range of areas. A woolly necked stork is a tropical species that breeds in India and Indonesia.
They are also known as a resident breeder in Africa and generally lives in regions such as Africa, India, Indonesia, Myanmar. These African birds are also on the northern side of India as well.
What is a woolly-necked stork's habitat?
The woolly necked stork, Ciconia episcopus, thrives in wetlands. When traveling to Asia from India to Indonesia they mainly look for flood plains, rivers, and mangrove swamps. This white-neck bird prefers to live in tidal mudflats and plantations.
Who do woolly-necked storks live with?
These large wading species come across a variety of birds when moving from India to Indonesia. Birds such a green peafowl are found sharing habitats with these species in Indonesia. Although when traveling Asia from India, birds such as cranes also come in contact with these species on numeral occasions, as they share the same habitat conditions.
How long does a woolly-necked stork live?
This species of African birds have a very long lifespan, they live as long as 19-20 years in the wild.
How do they reproduce?
These birds breed in colonies and breed with one partner for their entire lifespan. A stick nest is built by both sexes.
Twigs, green leaves, and grass are being used to build the large stick nest, which is generally located over tall trees to save the young from predators. Females mostly lay eggs in August or September and incubate them for a month. The young leave the nest after around three to four weeks, gaining full independence.
What is their conservation status?
The UPSC earlier declared these birds under grave threat of extinction. However, today they are marked under the conservation status of Vulnerable.
Woolly-necked Stork Fun Facts
What do woolly-necked storks look like?
A woolly necked stork (Ciconia episcopus) has a white neck and red eyes. These birds have a small black skull and every long neck, the legs are comparatively long and red in color with a glowing band.
A woolly necked can come in any band color, it can be either neon, orange, or glowing red. This African bird has a very long and heavy black bill, usually meant for hunting fish. The young are gray or black and white, the baby birds are duller versions of the adult birds.
How cute are they?
These birds are very colorful and their young birds are duller versions of the adult birds, having very pale colors. However, an adult woolly necked is indeed a good sight.
How do they communicate?
Communication among the population of this bird is mainly through their signature woolly-necked stork call. They produce a very high-pitched and long call during breeding or while simply guarding their large stick nest.
How big is a woolly-necked stork?
A woolly necked is a widespread tropical species and is medium in length. This bird from Africa is almost similar in size to a green heron.
However, when compared with other tropical species which breed in wetlands, they are comparatively smaller. For instance, a little blue heron is two times larger in size when compared to a woolly necked stork.
How fast can a woolly-necked stork move?
As the woolly-necked stork distribution range covers major areas of the south along with areas that come between India to Indonesia, it can be assumed that this population of white neck birds moves quite fast and covers considerable areas on non-stop flights when migrating from one region to another.
How much does a woolly-necked stork weigh?
A woolly necked stork weighs around 2.2-3.3 lb (1-1.8 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
A woolly necked stork, Ciconia episcopus, bird has similar names for both sexes. Both the sexes in this species look almost similar to one another and are often addressed with the same names.
What would you call a baby woolly-necked stork?
In this species, the stick nest is built on cell phone towers, and the young are commonly referred to as hatchlings or nestlings.
What do they eat?
The woolly-necked stork diet is mainly carnivorous. These species feed on fishes, toads, lizards, sometimes snakes are also important components of the woolly-necked stork food habits.
Are they dangerous?
It is very unlikely that woolly necked storks can prove to be dangerous to humans in any way. They are mostly very calm and do not bring any danger to humans.
Would they make a good pet?
No, it's not ideal to make a woolly necked stork a pet. These birds thrive more when in their natural habitat and bringing them to an artificial ecosystem can damage them and might not prove to be good for their health.
Did you know...
The woolly necked stork is very fierce when it comes to guarding nests and often hiss at the predators.
These birds are also often monogamous by nature and may mate for life.
The woolly-necked stork range map
The woolly-necked stork travels to Asia from India for their mating season. They are generally found in the wetlands of Africa, their population has also been sighted in areas such as Thar, in Rajasthan, and Punjab during winters. They are slowly spreading the arid regions of Asia and south of Nepal.
Are woolly-necked storks endangered?
Yes, woolly necked storks are engendered due to various human activities.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our Siberian crane facts and yellow-crowned night heron facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable woolly necked stork coloring pages.
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