These amazing birds differ from others not only in their beauty, but also in their extraordinary grace. In external parameters, they are similar to a heron, only larger in size.
And the stork’s nest stands out strongly among other shapes and sizes. How is it remarkable? You can find out where and from which these birds build nests by reading this article.
Beliefs about the stork
In Belarus, a bird is lovingly called a white bead, and in Ukraine - Chernoguz or a leleka. There are no birds in the world with which so many legends are associated, will be accepted and believed, and all of them are pretty sweet and kind.
The very first sign that comes to mind is that a stork is a bird that brings children into families. In the old days, the windows of the hut were specially laid out for storks for treats for the appearance of children in the house. And wheels from carts were installed on the roofs so that storks would arrange their housing there.
It was believed that the stork’s nest on the roof of the house would certainly bring happiness and peace to the owners. And the number of storks also had a certain value - how many chicks, so many children are expected in the family.
Both white and black storks live in nature, the first are the most common.
Stork Habitats
White Stork is a national bird of the Republic of Lithuania. On the territory of this state, the highest nesting density of this species of birds is recorded. Storks usually nest alone, but large colonial settlements are also found.
They live in almost all areas of Europe, including the Russian European part. There are also in Asia (for example, in Uzbekistan).
Storks arrange their nests in various and unexpected places, even on some power lines. They are not at all afraid of people and settle on trees and roofs of houses of rural settlements.
Many villagers specially prepare places to facilitate the arrangement of nests with birds - they install poles with circles, cut off excess branches on trees. Civilization and the people of storks are not at all scared. However, caution in relation to humans, the birds still do not lose.
General Information on Stork Nests
This amazingly beautiful and noble bird builds a nest of very large sizes (in diameter up to 1.5 meters). The weight of such a dwelling can reach 250 kg. Basically, a stork builds a nest on the roof of a structure constructed by man, or on broken treetops near water bodies (rivers and lakes) or swamps.
As a rule, one nest with storks has been used for years. Birds always return to their old home, with males arriving earlier and guarding it until the female returns. But the nest is again put in order before hatching, it is being repaired, therefore its dimensions are increasing every year. The height is usually 50 centimeters, and the old nest as a result of such reconstructions can reach a height of even 1.5 meters.
In Germany, the oldest stork nest was used by birds for 381 years.
What is the nest made of?
Storks build nests from twigs and large branches. They line the tray with hay, old grass and straw. Sometimes old rags, wool, paper, etc. are used as lining at the bottom of the nest.
With all this, each nest is constructed differently. All storks have their own peculiarity in planning the construction of a cozy nest. For example, there is a difference in the construction of nests for white and black storks, more detailed information is presented below.
White storks
The most famous of all birds of this species is the white stork, nesting in Russia in the European part of the country. His wintering places are Africa and India.
The height of the bird is 120 centimeters, its weight is four kilograms. Its distinctive feature is that the stork does not have a voice, but instead knocks with a half of its beak, making certain sounds that are understandable to almost all surrounding birds.
White storks are monogamous. In their repaired nest, after returning from wintering, they lay 1 to 7 eggs, then incubate them alternately (both female and male) for about 34 days.
They prefer to settle on the shores of water bodies: rivers, lakes, swamps. These birds swim beautifully, fly and are surprisingly easy to move on land (they even run after prey). The white stork in flight reaches speeds of up to 45 km per hour. During sleep, he stands on one leg, periodically changing it.
White Stork Nest
The nest of a white stork (outer side) is built of tree branches, the thickness of which reaches even a few centimeters. The inner part is laid out with thinner and softer branches, and plant stems, sod, land, manure, straw and hay are often found in its walls. The lower part is lined with a rather thick layer of softer material - moss, hay, leaves, dry grass, wool, etc.
Also in the nest you can find the most diverse debris - old rags, films, papers, pieces of rope, etc.
In Russia, the oldest nests of white storks (about 35 years old) were found in the Tver and Kaluga regions. In Western Europe (in Germany, Poland and Hungary) there are nests whose age is more than 100 years.
Black storks
Black storks live in the mountains and in the forest. They prefer to nest in places inaccessible from people, and lay about 5 eggs each. They are also caring parents, hatched eggs in turn, both female and male.
The weight of a black stork is about three kilograms. Legs, neck and beak are long. The wingspan reaches 2 meters. During the flight, the stork beautifully extends its legs and neck, smoothly and slowly spreads its wings.
Unlike white, a black stork has a voice. Among other things, black, in comparison with white, is more thoroughly related to the design of its nest - it neatly lays branches, using clay and earth.
About the chicks of storks
After storks made a nest and chicks hatched from hatched eggs, real fuss begins. Parents will feed them from morning to evening. They are busy all the time in search of water and food for their chicks. From birth, storks feed on insects.
The food that the chicks grab on the fly is thrown into their mouths from their parents' beaks. And the water flows smoothly into the beak of the chicks. All this happens during the first two months. The chicks eat very well, and they gain weight quite quickly.
There is a not very pleasant feature among storks - they get rid of sick and weakened chicks.
Strong and matured young birds begin to seek food themselves, already without parents. Food for them are snakes, insects, lizards, frogs, various rodents, etc.
Interesting Facts About Nests
Today in Ukraine, more and more often you can find a stork's nest on a pole of power lines, a slightly smaller number of them - on trees, and even less - on water towers. The smallest number of nests is on various buildings.
Stork nests are also found on the rocks. For example, in Portugal in 1994 more than 2% of nests were built on them. Old dwellings are also found in ruins, on monuments, towers, on straw ricks, heaps of dry branches and manure. There are known cases of revealing nests even on the arrows of construction truck cranes and on the ground.
The height of the socket depends on the height of the support. It varies from 0 (on the ground) to several tens of meters (on pipes and other structures). A known case of the location of the nest on a hundred-meter tower in Spain. Basically, they are built at an average height of 5 to 20 m.
In many regions of Russia, nests are located on water towers, especially in the Kaluga region (73% of nests).
In Lithuania, in 1994-2000, storks made a nest on an old tree in 52 percent of cases.
Demonstration behavior of a stork
For paired and breeding birds, the center of social activity is a nest, where you can see their various demonstrations. An interesting fact is that outside the nest, partners tend to ignore each other.
Usually in spring, the male returns to the nest first and protects the dwelling from other storks. Steam forms on the nest. The host meets strangers approaching with a characteristic beak cracking, throwing and lowering its head and spreading its wings. At the same time, he still raises his tail and puffs feathers on his neck.
If a female flies into the nest, the demonstrations take on a different character after a while - a welcome ceremony takes place. At the same time, the male, clattering feathers and swinging his head from side to side, greets the couple. When an alien male tries to sit on the nest, the owner assumes a threatening position: he stands on bent legs motionless with wings spread apart in different directions, with his tail pulled up, and his head and neck stretched forward. There are many different demonstrations of a stork, depending on the current situation. Fights can occur.
A beautiful picture (two storks in the nest) can be seen after the pair is formed. Each of the couple greets the partner flying up to the nest with current demonstrations. Often, both birds in the nest talk in a “duet”, sorting feathers to each other, mostly on the neck and head.
