Photo: Chris Eason / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Stork
Ciconia nigra
Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) — Storks of Africa.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is a member of the Ciconiidae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 2.9 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Ciconiiformes
- Family Ciconiidae Storks
- Genus Ciconia
- Species nigra
Where it lives
Namibia and Malawi to South Africa, central Europe to northern China
Quick facts
- Weight
- 2.9 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Ciconiidae
- Order
- Ciconiiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Stork hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black Stork is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) belongs to the Ciconiidae family of the order Ciconiiformes. Its range spans Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL Namibia and Malawi to South Africa, c Europe to n China.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 2.9 kg, with a wing length of about 53 cm and a tail of around 23.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 18.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Stork?
The Black Stork is a very large bird that weighs around 2.9 kg.
Where does the Black Stork live?
The Black Stork is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering AF, PAL Namibia and Malawi to South Africa, c Europe to n China, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black Stork belong to?
The Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) belongs to the Ciconiidae family, in the order Ciconiiformes.
What does the Black Stork eat?
The Black Stork hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Black Stork migrate?
The Black Stork is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black Stork endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black Stork make?
1 real field recording of the Black Stork — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black Stork's range?
The Black Stork has a mapped global range of about 18.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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