White Stork (Ciconia Ciconia)

Storks are a very different family in the order Ciconiiformes. They miss the true pitch muscles. Whereas some of them vocalize only by beak clattering, others do wheeze. This morfological feature can be also found in New World vultures as well as peeing on their legs (that is why we can usually see the stork with whitish legs). They can also feed on carrions as the New World vultures do. A short time ago, storks were systematically classificated as the relatives of New World vultures in the order Cathartiformes . New system classifies the storks as the only family of the order Ciconiiformes.



In storks, three morphological groups can be distinguished. Seven species of the genus Ciconia are classified as true storks. Open-billed storks and genus Mycteria is considered to be the same group. Adjutants, saddle-billed storks and jabiru belong to the group of giant storks.



Storks usually nest in the tree colonies. Nesting of White Stork in the chimneys is, then, non-native habit of the species. In many sites in Europe including Czech Republic, we can still find the tree colonies of this species. The only species which nest on the ground is the south american Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari).