CiconiidaeCiconia

Black Stork

Ciconia nigra

90–100 cmVery Large
Beak
—
Feet
—
Crest
No crest

Winter visitor and passage migrant. Mainly N subcontinent. Adult mainly glossy black. with white lower breast and belly, and red bill and legs; in flight. white underparts and axillaries contrast strongly with black neck and underwing. Juvenile has brown head. neck and upperparts flecked with white; bill and legs greyish-green. Keeps in pairs or small parties. Often very shy and wary. Forages by walking with measured stride sin shallow water. Inland freshwaters including marshes and rivers.

Colour

WhiteBlackRedBrown
Average size
95 cm
Habitat
Forages by walking with measured stride sin shallow water. Inland freshwaters including marshes and rivers.
Behaviour
Winter visitor and passage migrant., Keeps in pairs or small parties. Often very shy and wary.

About this bird

Winter visitor and passage migrant. Mainly N subcontinent. Adult mainly glossy black. with white lower breast and belly, and red bill and legs; in flight. white underparts and axillaries contrast strongly with black neck and underwing. Juvenile has brown head. neck and upperparts flecked with white; bill and legs greyish-green. Keeps in pairs or small parties. Often very shy and wary. Forages by walking with measured stride sin shallow water. Inland freshwaters including marshes and rivers.

Compare size with other birds

Every bird sits between two neighbours — bigger than one, smaller than the other. The sentences below are generated live from the database.

Open full comparison

Black Stork is bigger than Grey Heron but smaller than Great Egret.