The Stork

Painted Stork

        A stork poised on one leg, back arched and long bill on its breast is a familiar picture to most people; it is perhaps one of the best known of foreign birds.
       The common stork is the White Stork of the Old World. It is not entirely white, however, having black wing coverts, a dark red bill, reddish-pink legs and black claws.
       In March and April great flocks of these storks fly north from Africa and Egypt to the central part of Europe, especially Germany and Holland. They fly at great heights in V-shaped formations, each stork flying with neck thrust forward and legs stretched back, making just a slight curve. They remain in the north until August when they gather in flocks to fly back south for the winter.
       The people love these beautiful birds and protect them. For this reason storks seek the cities in which to build their nests. They walk with fearless confidence in the busy streets of large towns. They construct their nests of sticks and reeds and place them on the high steeples and roofs. Indeed, it is quite an honor to have a stork build on the roof. Boxes, cartwheels and other devices are placed on the roofs to entice the storks to stop there.
       Sometimes when suitable roof sites are not available trees or even rocks are used as nesting places. The same nest is used year after year with very little change in structure except for the addition of a few twigs. Thus, the first year nest is shallow while an old nest will be several feet in height. It is said, some nests have been inhabited every year for over a century.
       Three to five young storks are raised each year in these lofty nests. The parents bring them food such as frogs, snakes, lizards and insects. The food is scattered in the nest and the youngsters scramble for it. These little storks walk on their heels although it looks as if they were walking on half their legs. Balancing seems to be rather difficult for them especially when a strong wind threatens to topple them from their nest. There is no roof to this tree-top-home; the rain pours down on the babies and runs off their backs without doing any harm.
       The stork never sings. The only sound is a clatter made by beating the huge mandibles together or an occasional hiss. Besides being a silent bird it is usually a very dignified bird. It walks with a slow pace when in the meadows and streets or quietly soars in great circles in the sky. However, in the spring the father stork is often not dignified nor is he quiet. At this time he leaps from the ground with wings out-stretched and clatters noisily. These grotesque gestures form a sort of dance to attract the attention of the mother stork.
       In many countries the stork has almost a superstitious meaning. One would never dare molest a stork in Holland as that would bring bad luck, the people think.
       In some parts of Germany the people believe a stork never nests on a bad man's house. If a man were suspected of some crime and a stork nested on his home, he would be freed immediately.
       The Mohammedans cherish the stork and call it - friend - and brother."
       An old Greek law forcing children to support helpless parents originated from stork habits. The Greeks noticed that the young storks brought food to old ones who were feeble or sick.
       The Wends of Spreeland, who have lived in Germany from ancient times, are especially fond of the stork. They believe that at the creation of time the birds of the world chose the stork as king and that the
stork is able to think and could converse with man if only its tongue were longer.
       There are other storks besides the White Stork although not so common nor so well known. There is the Japanese Stork from Japan, Korea and Siberia; the Black Stork from Asia; the - Shoe-billed-Stork
from Arabia; the Marabou Stork from India; the White-necked Stork from Africa and the Maguari Stork from South America. Miriam Wood

The amazing white stork migration by The Wildlife Channel.