Wildlifeof India
Black Stork
Storks, Herons, Ibises & Pelicans
Photo: (c) Gianluca Congi🪶🦆🌲, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC-BY-SA (May be cropped or resized)
Ciconia nigra
Basic stats
Diet
Vertebrates and carrion
Habitat
Wetland
Range
Breeds across Europe and the Palearctic to the Pacific; Asian populations winter in the Indian subcontinent
Clutch size
2–5 greyish-white eggs
Size
Average 95–100cm; wingspan 145–155cm
The black stork is a large stork, on average 95–100 cm from beak tip to tail end with a wingspan of 145–155 cm. Adults have mainly black plumage with white underparts, long red legs and a long, straight, pointed red beak. Unlike the closely related white stork it is a shy and wary bird (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a long-distance migrant, with European populations wintering in tropical sub-Saharan Africa and Asian populations in the Indian subcontinent. It is widespread but nowhere abundant and appears to be declining in parts of its range, such as India, China and parts of western Europe. The female lays two to five greyish-white eggs. SoIB 2023 rates it a Moderate conservation priority: a winter migrant of wetland with a Large range, a rapid long-term decline of about 61% and an inconclusive current trend (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).
Quick answers
- What does the Black Stork eat?
- Vertebrates and carrion
- What habitat does the Black Stork live in?
- Wetland
- Where is the Black Stork found?
- Breeds across Europe and the Palearctic to the Pacific; Asian populations winter in the Indian subcontinent
- How many eggs does the Black Stork lay?
- 2–5 greyish-white eggs
- How big is the Black Stork?
- Average 95–100cm; wingspan 145–155cm