Stork Facts

About the stork

Twenty living species of stork fall into six genera. They tend to live in drier places than herons and ibises, and many migrate. Most eat frogs and fish, along with insects, earthworms, small mammals and small birds. At the nest, they communicate by clattering their bills. In flight they soar and glide on rising warm air, which saves energy.

Storks are heavy birds with wide wings. The marabou stork has a wingspan of 3.2 m and weighs up to 8 kg, tying with the Andean condor for the widest wings of any living land bird. Nests can be reused for years and grow huge, sometimes over 2 m across and about 3 m deep.

Did you know?

• Photos of storks taken in 1884 inspired Otto Lilienthal's early glider designs.
• A group of storks can be called a muster or a phalanx.
• Some storks that pair up socially still breed with other partners.