Fun Stork Facts For Kids

Have you heard of the European white Stork? This name might not sound completely new to you. Storks are large fascinating birds found in Asia, Africa, and Europe. These large birds are graceful, enchanting, and full of some very interesting facts. Do you know that a Stork is a monogamous bird and prefers to have only one partner throughout its lifespan? This article will give insight into the Stork bird species, like the ideal Stork habitat and how it likes to live in the wild near water sources. The location of the nest for these birds vary according to species and the white Stork nest is built in trees in loose colonies with dry sticks. They prey on small animals and fish who can be found in shallow water.

So, without wasting any time you should definitely explore white Stork facts, marabou Stork facts, wood Stork facts and other stork species. After reading these facts about Storks, do check out our other articles on secretary bird and tawny owl.
 

What type of animal is a Stork?

European white Storks are huge wading birds with long legs, a long neck, brilliant feathers, and stout bills. They belong to the Ciconiidae family. A Stork lives a solitary life as it prefers to live alone in the wild and leads a monogamous life near a water source.

What class of animal does a Stork belong to?

A white Stork belongs to the Aves class of animals. There are various white Stork species present in the wild including shoebill Stork, marabou Stork, wood Stork and many others. The white Stork is found predominantly near water sources or near wetlands.

How many Storks are there in the world?

The Stork population is on the verge of extinction. There are 19 Storks species in the world. Some of the Stork species are abundant in number, and some are facing the threat of being endangered such as wood Storks (mycteria Americana). The major reason behind wood Storks (mycteria Americana) being vulnerable to extinction is habitat loss and illegal hunting.

Where does a Stork live?

White Storks are mainly found in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The black-necked Stork is a Stork species found in Australia. They make large nests and are known to stay and continue breeding in one nest for many years.

What is a Stork's habitat?

The different Stork species are found within a variety of habitats. The white Storks, many times, reside in the shallow freshwater wetlands and marshes. Some Stork have also been seen in the flooded agricultural fields and dribbling ponds. Since they are migratory birds, during winters, they migrate all the way from Europe to Africa, and then return in spring.

Who do Storks live with?

A Stork can be living alone or in some colonial groups. Some of the Stork species like wood Storks prefer to live in groups, while the Ephippiorhynchus storks and some other Ciconia species live alone.

How long does a Stork live?

Storks have a long lifespan. The average lifespan of a Stork is 22-40 years depending upon the type of Stork.

How do they reproduce?

Usually, all Storks are monogamous. Only a few species migrate alone, and upon migrating they change their mates.

The breeding season is bound to take place in the month of August in northern India and ends in October. On the other hand, in the south, the breeding season occurs later in the month of November and ends up in the month of March. The breeding season starts after the monsoon season, and this significantly reduces the risk of nest failure.

The Mycteria leucocephala species of Stork nest in large groups.  Thousands of pairs of the species have been known to make their nest in rookeries.

The nests are built mostly with plant materials. On average, the Stork species can lay four eggs. The incubation period is 30 days long. The babies are able to fledge after reaching the age of 60 days with a whitish plumage. This whitish plumage later turns pale brown with the growing age.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of white Storks is of least concern as there is adequate population of these birds present in the wild. Though, the wood Stork population has dwindled heavily because of habitat destruction and illegal hunting and as a result, these storks are categorized as endangered. It is the same case with lesser adjutant and milky stork, who are categorized as vulnerable.

What do Storks look like?

Usually, all the white Stork species have long red legs, a neck, and a straight pointed beak. The male and female Storks look alike in their appearance. The thing that distinguishes them from each other is that males are larger than females. The plumage of these birds is usually white with black colored feathers and wing coverts. The black color of the feather and covert is caused by a  pigment called melanin. There is a birthmark present on almost 33 percent of all newborns which is known as Stork bite.

How cute are they?

Storks are a fascinating and beautiful bird species. They can't be termed cute birds. Their appearance, rather than being cute, is very appealing and enchanting.

How do they communicate?

In order to communicate, white Stork uses various vocalizations, movement and gestures. The communication style can be visual, tactile, acoustic and acoustic. Tactile communication may occur between the parents and the young chicks and also between the male and the female during the mating process.

How big is a Stork?

Storks are large birds. This species stands 32-60 in tall on average and weighs between 4.5-20 lb.  The Marabou Stork is considered as the largest Stork with a height of 60 inches.

How fast can a Stork fly?

Storks are really fast flyers. Under good climatic conditions, the Storks soar with warm air currents and can travel at an impressive speed of around 16 mph.

How much does a Stork weigh?

The average weight of a Stork ranges between 4.5-20 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

In general, a male bird is called a cock, and a female bird is called a hen. But commonly, the Stork species is simply referred to as male Stork bird and female Stork bird.

What would you call a baby Stork?

A baby Stork will be called a chick. The chick stays in the nest till the flight feathers grow and they are able to fly.

What do they eat?

Storks are mostly carnivores, and white Storks prey on a variety of organisms such as insects, scorpions, spiders, frogs, fish, toads, rodents, lizards, snakes, crustaceans, earthworms, small mammals, hatchlings, and ground eggs. These Storks search for their prey by pointing their bill towards the ground, and as soon as they see a prey, they quickly shove their bill to the direction of the prey and grab it.

In the dry years, their diet majorly consists of insects and mice. And when there are wet years, the majority of their diet shifts to water animals. Locusts, armyworms  and caterpillars  are the major part of the diet. The major prey consumed varies greatly with the regional abundance of prey in that area.

Are they dangerous?

Storks can be slightly dangerous when they are aggressive. However, their dangerous behavior is not  fatal.

Would they make a good pet?

No, Storks can't be good pets. The first reason is that they are migratory birds, and you can't keep them locked up in your apartment or home. The second reason is that many of the Stork species are vulnerable to extinction, and keeping them as pets is nearly impossible.

Did you know...

Black Storks can sometimes kill one of their babies. They generally kill the weakest one. This is done in times when there is acute food shortages. So, in order to reduce the size of the brood, they can kill one of their weakest chicks. Reducing the brood size also increases the survival chances of other chicks in the family.

Myths of the Stork

The legend that Storks are associated with babies is ancient. In the 19th century, it was popularized by a story written by Hans Christian Anderson called the Storks. The story was about a billed Stork who found babies in caves and brought them home in the baskets.

In many cultures, Storks are a symbol of good luck. In Germany, they are said to bring good luck. In Netherlands, if a Stork nests on one's roof top, it is said to be a good omen.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including hornbill, or great green macaw.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Stork coloring pages.