White Stork

Ciconia ciconia

Range

• Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, and the Middle East, although they have a fairly fragmented distribution within that large area

Habitat

• Grasslands and wetlands

Diet

• Amphibians
• Reptiles
• Insects
• Rodents

White storks migrate farther than any other stork. Huge groups travel together and can be found at narrow water crossings every spring.

When their numbers declined, they were saved by early conservation efforts. These stately birds are famous for building large stick nests on top of buildings when suitable trees are unavailable. The annual return each spring to these same nesting sites gave rise to the legend about storks bringing babies.