Facts, Information, Scientific Name of Stork
There are around 19 species of Stork birds
Scientific name- Ciconiidae
Size- 152cm
Distribution and Habitat
Storks are found in many countries in the habitats like flooded grassland, Light woodlands, marshes, paddy fields, Meadows, rivers, backwaters and ponds.
Appearance
The Stork has a long neck with long legs and a bill which is in specific types in different species, accordingly the storks have their diets.
Open bill Stork has an open-shaped beak even if the beak is shut. Hence the bird is called an Openbill stork.
Some storks have a beak with sharp daggers. The beak is slightly curved
Stork doesn’t have a vocal organ known as ‘syrinx’ which is present in Birds. The syrinx organs in birds produce sound. Hence some species of stork lack the calling ability.
Diet
Stork feeds upon insects, Fish, amphibians, and Molluscs like Apple Snails.
Storks have a technique of feeding in which they place a beak in the water, mostly the lower mandible /lower jaw and as their prey passes through it, they snap their upper jaw/mandible.
This movement happens very fast within a few seconds, of catching prey.
Breeding season
Spring season is the Breeding season.
Storks are solitary but they breed in a colony.
They nest above the waterbody on trees. Nest is a platform nest made up of Grass, Twigs, and Sticks. Both males and females built nests and cover them with their ‘Guano’, also known as excreta that hold the sticks together.
The female lays 2-6 eggs. Incubation is for a month. Chicks fledge when they are independent.
Threats
The stork population is under threat by the low water level, habitat loss, etc.
Also See ⇒ Swan Facts