Abdim's Stork
(White-bellied Stork)
Ciconia Abdimii

CLASS: Aves
ORDER: Ciconiiformes
FAMILY: Ciconiidae

SIZE:
Smaller stork species; wing length 42-27 cm

RANGE:
Africa

HABITAT:
Marshes, savannas, and fields

DIET:
Wild - fish, insects, locusts, worms, larvae
Zoo - fish, dog food, meat, crickets

DESCRIPTION:

• Resembles the black stork in plumage, but has a white lower back
• White lower tail coverts are rigid and as long as the tail
• Large to very large wading birds with long legs, long bills, a stately upright stance and striding gait
• Long, broad wings and are strong fliers; bills are long and heavy
• Males are noticeably larger than females; sexes look similar
• Air sacs lie under the neck skin

FACTS:

• Call consists of a series of peeps
• Most storks fly with necks outstretched; most alternate flapping with soaring in warm air currents (thermals).
• They can engage in remarkable aerobatics, such as diving, plummeting from the sky and flipping over in flight
• Most storks feed alone but also will form large flocks when food is abundant; by soaring, storks can forage long distances from their colonies and roosts

NESTING:

This species likes to nest near native settlements; they are welcomed by the natives as "rain bringers" because they arrive with the spring rain
• Flocks move toward South Africa in migration
• Most nest in trees, but they also use cliffs or nest on ground
• Nests are situated near sites providing suitable food supplies
• The nest site, selected by the male, is defended against all intruders
• Male gives advertisement displays (up and down movements, calls and bill clattering), and the attracted female responds with appeasement behavior.
• From large breeding colonies; 65 nests have been spotted in one tree
• Usually 3-5 eggs; incubation period 30-50 days

REFERENCE:
"The Encyclopedia of Birds," Edited by Perrins and Middleton
"Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia"