Many of us are familiar with the white storks, some even saw these huge birds, admiring their perfect nests built on roofs or poles.But few people know that in fact there is not one kind of these birds.The most rare and interesting from the point of view of the study are black storks.Their habitat is wide enough, but the number of the birds themselves are not happy conservationists.Their numbers over the years continues to remain low and stable.Storks nest on almost all of Eurasia, in some regions, formed a separate settlement, and South Africa have settled population of this species.In late August, the birds break from their seats and fly away in the south-eastern part of China, and Africa.
black stork in size slightly inferior to their white brethren, but usually reaches a wingspan of 2 meters. Weight about 3 kg, legs, beak and skin around the eyes are red, the color black plumage with green and purple tint, white is only the lower part.See the bird is not so simple, because it is not only rare, but also secretive.It prefers to nest at the ponds in old forests, foothills, near human settlements they do not see.
couple of black storks create once and for life.Returned from warm them in late March and immediately taken for the arrangement of the slot.There were times when in the same place for 14 years hatching.This kind of birds do not form colonies, and prefers to live alone, so one pair over a large area.The female lays in a nest of up to 7 eggs.Usually, there are also infertile.The pair incubates the eggs one by one for a month.
black stork chicks have a yellow beak and white or gray fuzz.In the early days, they are absolutely helpless, and even to eat on their own can not.On their feet they rise in a month, or even a half.Jack chicks may leave at the age of just over two months.At the end of the summer, going the whole family, storks migrate to warmer climes, but if there is food, they can stay until the first frost.Birds reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years.
Black storks eat frogs, fish, small snakes, lizards, clams, large insects.They are able to fly away from the nest for long distances (up to 10 km), to hunt in the swamp, wet meadow, shallow water reservoirs.Have offspring imposes additional duties on the birds, the female with a male in turn sent for food for the chicks, feed them 5 times a day.Food first, burped, and then invited the kids.The case when the stork brought to the nest about 50 frogs weighing more than 0.5 kg.
number of these beautiful birds is decreasing every year, while natural enemies and has the black stork.Photos of birds are admired and make you think you need to do to ensure that these beautiful creatures have not disappeared from the face of the earth.Deforestation, reduction of food resources negatively affect the number of these birds.This species is listed in the Red Book of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and with India, Japan, North Korea and South Korea signed an agreement on the protection of wintering birds.
