A wading bird, which each of you knows very well. Unfortunately, we won't meet it all year round in our country because it appears in the spring and when the weather gets colder, that is when autumn comes, it flies away to warmer countries. It seems to have very long legs, but herons have much longer than storks. Its favourite food is frogs, which it mostly hunts near wetlands.
Stork Coloring Book
Information
- Classification: Storks belong to the stork family (Ciconiidae). There are more than a dozen species of storks, including the most famous in Europe - the white stork.
- Occurrence: Storks can be found on many continents, including Europe, Asia and Africa. They prefer open areas such as grasslands, marshes and agricultural areas.
- Migrations: Many species of storks are migratory birds. For example, white storks from Central and Eastern Europe migrate to Africa for the winter.
- Diet: Storks are omnivores. Their diet consists mainly of small animals such as rodents, insects, fish and amphibians.
- Sockets: Storks build large nests, often on artificial elevations such as chimneys or poles. In many cultures, the presence of a stork nest on a building is considered a good sign.
- Reproduction: Storks usually lay 3-5 eggs per brood. Both parents participate in incubating them and feeding the young.
- Soundless: Storks are one of the few birds that do not have the ability to sing. Instead, they communicate among themselves by flapping their beaks.
- Life expectancy: In captivity, storks can live up to 30 years, although in the wild their lives are usually shorter due to various hazards.
- Status: While some stork species are abundant, others are endangered due to habitat loss, environmental disturbance and hunting.
- Culture: Storks are present in many cultures and folk traditions. In many countries they are considered to bring good luck, and in Western folklore they are associated with the delivery of babies.
Trivia
- Long-distance hiking: Some stork species, such as the white stork, undertake incredible migratory journeys, traveling hundreds and even thousands of kilometers between their breeding and wintering sites.
- Territorial loyalty: Storks often return to the same nesting sites for many years, sometimes even for life. It is strong territorial loyalty that helps them maintain stable nests.
- Royal guests: In Poland and many other European countries, storks are warmly welcomed and treated almost like "royal guests." Often stork nests are placed on special platforms to encourage the birds to settle in the area.
- Storks vs infants: There are legends in many cultures that say that storks bring babies. This myth may be related to observations of the birds leaving their nests in the summer, when people often expect babies to be born.
- Unusual appearance: A distinctive feature of the white stork's appearance is the black spot at the base of its neck, which looks like a "cut". In Polish, this is why the white stork is sometimes called "black-faced stork".
- Watchful eyes: Storks have very good eyesight, which helps them find food on the ground and in flight.
- Differentiation of sounds: Although storks do not make complex songs, they can make a variety of sounds, from horn-like trumpets to quiet clapping of their beaks.
- Sign of happiness: In some cultures, storks are a symbol of good luck and good fortune. Their presence in the area is considered an auspicious sign.
- The economic importance of: Storks can provide economic benefits because they eat agricultural pests such as insects and rodents, helping to control their populations.
- Parental care: The storks are an example of good parents. Both parents participate in incubating eggs and caring for the young, and their joint actions are evidence of advanced parental care.