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White Stork
A stork with young, in the middle of the village Gura Motrului, to the west of Bilta, on the right bank of the Jiu, in 2005. Usually the storks make their nests in the villages, and the people of the village leave them in peace.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
Five storks in the same nest, at Gura Motrului, just near the west border of Bilta, in 2006. This may well be the same stork pair as in 2005, since stork pairs often return to the same nest year after year, adding to the sticks making up the nest every year, and raising a new family. It may be seen that the nest in this photograph is taller than the 2005 nest.
It is possible to find many storks everywhere in this area, possibly because of the rich food in the rivers, because of good rain in 2006. The local people do not molest them, because storks are believed to bring good luck.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
This European White Stork was feeding on the banks of the Danube just downstream of Drobeta Turnu-Severin on 10th December 2006.
They have normally migrated south to their wintering grounds in tropical Africa by this time. This bird seems to have decided that global warming is sufficiently advanced that it can afford to stay in Europe for the winter.
White Storks are tall (1 m., 2.3-4.4 kg) long-necked wading birds with long bare red legs and a straight pointed red bill. The white plumage of the head, neck, and body contrasts with the black wing feathers highlighted with a sheen of purple and green iridescence. The contour feathers of the lower neck and chest are elongated to form a fluffy ruff that can be erected during courtship displays. A small patch of bare black skin surrounds their brown eyes. Sexes are similar in appearance, though males are slightly larger.
Breeding White Storks prefer lowland open habitats of wet pastures, flooded meadows, and shallow lakes and marshes with scattered trees for roosting and nesting. They have adapted to nest on man-made structures and forage in freshly plowed fields.
Text adapted from: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Birds/Facts/FactSheets/fact-europwhitestork.cfm
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Stork
The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread but declining species which breeds in the warmer parts of Europe. It is a strong migrant, wintering in tropical Africa.
This is a broad winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained long distance flight. Since thermals only form over land, storks, together with large raptors, must cross the Mediterranean at the narrowest points, and many hundreds can be seen going through the straits of Gibraltar and the Bosphorus.
The White Stork is a huge bird, 1 m tall with a 2 m wingspan. It is completely white except for the black wing flight feathers and its red bill and legs. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. These storks breed in open farmland areas with access to marshy wetlands. It builds a stick nest in trees, on buildings, or special platforms. Because it is viewed as bird of good luck, it is not persecuted, and it often nests close to human habitation. In southern Europe, storks' nests can often be seen on churches and other buildings. It often forms small colonies.
The decline in the north of its range may be due to the drainage of wetlands and collisions with overhead power lines.
The White Stork, like most of its relatives, feeds mainly on frogs and large insects, but also on young birds, lizards and rodents.
This stork is almost silent except for the noisy mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest.
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RC J/263/230/2007 CIF 21464151
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