With their long legs, big bills, and unique greeting ceremonies, storks have fascinated people for centuries. There are 17 species of this bird, classed by scientists in the family Ciconiidae. The most famous type is the white stork, which in some European countries is thought to bring good luck. Children who ask where babies come from are sometimes told that the stork brings them.

Where storks live

Most storks live in Africa, Asia, and Europe. There is one Australian stork, and three species live in the Americas. The only stork commonly seen in the United States is the wood stork, which breeds in the Southeast and sometimes wanders farther north. Storks that nest in cold climates will migrate long distances in autumn. The white stork of Europe, for example, spends its winters in Africa or southern Asia.

Storks tend to live near water, but they can also be found on dry ground. The white stork is famous for nesting in villages or towns.

Physical features

Storks are related to the herons, flamingos, and ibises. They are tall birds with long legs, necks, and bills. The largest stork is the marabou of Africa. It reaches 5 feet (1.5 meters) in height, with a wingspread of 8 ¹/₂ feet (2.6 meters). Other storks generally reach a height of at least 2 feet (0.6 meter) as adults.

The feathers of a stork are commonly black and white. Some species have no feathers on the head or neck, only red, pink, or black skin. The bill and legs may also be brightly colored. Those of the white stork, for example, are red.

Behavior

Most storks eat insects, frogs, fish, and small mammals. They catch their food in fields or shallow waters. Wood storks quickly snap up fish with their bills as they wade about. Two storks, one African and one Asian, have bills that are specially adapted for holding snails. A few other storks, such as the marabou and the adjutant stork of India, feed on carrion, or dead animals.

Most storks are found in flocks except during the breeding season, when they pair off. With their wide wings, storks are strong fliers. They can also stop flapping their wings and soar for a time on air currents, which helps them save energy. A stork's long legs trail behind the bird as it flies.

Storks have almost no voice, but some can make hissing or honking sounds. When excited, some storks make noise by clattering their bills.

Reproduction

At mating time, a male and a female stork greet each other with ritual acts. When white storks meet, for example, they bend their heads and necks back so far that their bills almost touch their tails. At the same time they often clatter their bills. Together the male and the female build a large nest of twigs, usually in a tree or on a rock ledge. Many white storks, however, make their nests on rooftops, chimneys, or telephone poles. Some Europeans who believe that storks bring good luck build platforms in the hope that the birds will nest there. The same storks often return to a nest year after year. They build it up so much that smaller birds make their own nests in its outer reaches.

Both parents tend the three to six chalky-white eggs until they hatch in about five weeks. Then they feed the downy chicks from their bills until the chicks are ready to fly, about two months later.

Survival issues

The stories about storks bringing good luck have led many people to treat the birds well. In some places, however, storks have been hunted and killed for food or for their feathers. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the plumes of the marabou were especially prized as decorations for women's hats. In more recent decades, habitat destruction has threatened storks in some areas. In Florida, for example, the construction of floodgates, canals, and other structures has changed the wetland home of wood storks, causing many to leave. Efforts to protect storks have focused on preserving their nesting and feeding grounds.