Scientific name:
Ciconia

Natural spread:
Europe

Weißstörche is at all in Europe the most known Störche surely. Since they still frequently nested also in Central Europe on house-roofs in places earlier, these 1-1,1 m long ones and strikingly black-and-white drawn waders (energy-feathers black, rest-plumage knows) were known already to each child with its long, red legs and beaks. "Klapperstörche" was valid and is still regarded as lucky charm and moreover as "useful" Schädlingsvertilger. The white-stork occurs quintessential in many fables, say and fairy-tales as "stork."

Continuance and brood-area Today however, Weißstörche in Germany only rarely brood. While 9035 brood-pairs were still counted for an inventory in the year 1934, 1958 only nested 4567 pairs in the same rogatory-area (west from the Oder and Neiße). In the last years, increasing disturbances (Z) have. B. many overland-managements (in which Störche stick in the flight) increasing Trockenlegung of up to now waste moist-areas and lacking Nistmöglichkeiten Central Europe's stork-continuance even more strongly decimates.

The complete brood-area of the white-stork stretches from northwest-Africa over wide areas of Europe (without the British islands, Sweden, Norway and Finland) and Asia Minor, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the west-Iran as far as after Turkmenien, Uzbekistan and Tadschikistan. The Brutareal of the central-Asian race (C) stands on that occasion. c. asiatica, in no connection to Europe's white-sturgeon-little, Westasiens and North-Africa, C. c. ciconia. From East-Siberia as far as to Korea and Japan, the bigger black-beak-stork (Ciconia boyciana), who is understood also as subtype of the white-stork from time to time, is widespread.

Brood-biology According to brood-area, Central European Weißstörche come back until beginning April to its last year's Nistrevieren end of February. The brood-period begins middle of April until beginning May in the north of the spread-area, farther south against it already end of March of beginning April. Störche prefer open terrain with meadows, river-valleys, swamps and other moist-areas. You 0,9-1,5 m (in the diameter) erects big nest it on buildings and masts preferably, that show a special Nistplattform (basket or car-wheel). More rarely, Weißstörche take also trees and rock-cliffs, both probably original nest-locations, as hatchery at. First, the male birds appear and select the Nistplatz (usually the last year's nest). they offer it to the later arriving female, who defends the eyrie against competitors together with its brood-partner thereupon. Usually, the same Störche are verpaart together like in the year before. Completely again built nests have a diameter of approximately 0,8 m and are increased again and again by repair-works in the course of the years; an eyrie gained the record-weight of 950 kg. Both partners build together.

The nest consists white eggs (7,1 × 5,2 cm) limy of 3-5 (rarely up to 7), that, from the 2. or 3. Egg at, for 31-34 days from both alto-birds erbrütet becomes (Legeabstand 2-3 days). The nest-stools train 2 Dunenkleider, their first shortly, thinly and gray-knows is colored. After approximately one week, young Weißstörche then do it in 2., denser Dunenkleid. Already shortly after it slips tries the nestlings with rattle-movements for itself. During the first 3,5-4 life-weeks, the boys constantly are guarded by an alto-bird, that not, from the nest, without the brood-partner replacing it, flies away. Therefore, the nestlings must starve with cancellation of an alto-bird. Only after approximately 4 weeks, both alto-birds fly from the nest simultaneously away and create food (insects, earthworms, amphibians, reptiles, rodents and moles as well as occasionally other small vertebrates) here, that it from-choke before the boys on the nest-ground. With severe heat, Weißstörche carry also water in the pharynx here.

After 54-55 days finally abandoned the boys the nest; however, they are looked after by the parents even further 2-3 weeks. Weißstörche are independent at the earliest in the age of approximately 70 days. They become sexually mature with 3-5 years; the known maximum-age of wild Weißstörche amounts to 22 years.

Hikes Weißstörche leave its brood-area from middle August to beginning of September approximately and either move in in narrow front to its winter-quarters in the tropical Africa over Gibraltar or the Bosporus and Asia Minor. Since Störche overcome wide routes in the sail-flight, they are dependent on upcurrents and therefore avoid as wide as possible routes over open sea. Only few copies move on the short way of Italy and the Mediterranean to Africa. Asian Weißstörche hike to in southeast direction to India and Sri Lanka to the winter.

Endangering The white-stork is on the red list of the types threatened by the extinction with us.