Woolly-necked Stork
Encyclopedia
The Woolly-necked Stork or White necked stork , Ciconia episcopus, is a large wading bird in the stork
family Ciconiidae. It can also be known as the Espiscopos.
It is a widespread tropical species which breeds in Africa
, and also in Asia
from India
to Indonesia
. It is a resident breeder in wetlands with trees. The large stick nest is built in a forest tree, and 2-5 eggs
form the typical clutch. This stork is usually silent, but indulges in mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest.
_taking_off_from_the_fields_near_hodal_i_.jpg)
The Woolly-necked Stork is a broad winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained long distance flight. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched.
The Woolly-necked Stork is a large bird, typically 85 cm tall. It is glistening black with black 'skull cap',white neck and white lower belly. The upper parts are glossed dark green, and the breast and belly have a purple hue.It has long red legs and heavy blackish bill.Sexes are alike. Juvenile birds are duller versions of the adult.
African birds, C. e. microscelis, have the head mainly black, but the nominate Asian race, C. e. episcopus, has the head mainly white except for a darker area around the eyes. Eastern Indonesian birds belong to a third form, C. e. neglecta.
The Woolly-necked Stork walks slowly and steadily on the ground seeking its prey, which like that of most of its relatives, consists of amphibian
s, small reptile
s and large insect
s. African birds are attracted to bush fires.
The bird derives its scientific species name from the black and white vestments formerly worn by clerics.
The Woolly-necked Stork is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA
) applies.
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
family Ciconiidae. It can also be known as the Espiscopos.
It is a widespread tropical species which breeds in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and also in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is a resident breeder in wetlands with trees. The large stick nest is built in a forest tree, and 2-5 eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
form the typical clutch. This stork is usually silent, but indulges in mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest.
The Woolly-necked Stork is a large bird, typically 85 cm tall. It is glistening black with black 'skull cap',white neck and white lower belly. The upper parts are glossed dark green, and the breast and belly have a purple hue.It has long red legs and heavy blackish bill.Sexes are alike. Juvenile birds are duller versions of the adult.
African birds, C. e. microscelis, have the head mainly black, but the nominate Asian race, C. e. episcopus, has the head mainly white except for a darker area around the eyes. Eastern Indonesian birds belong to a third form, C. e. neglecta.
The Woolly-necked Stork walks slowly and steadily on the ground seeking its prey, which like that of most of its relatives, consists of amphibian
Amphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
s, small reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s and large insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s. African birds are attracted to bush fires.
The bird derives its scientific species name from the black and white vestments formerly worn by clerics.
The Woolly-necked Stork is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA
AEWA
The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds is the largest of its kind developed so far under the Bonn Convention. It was concluded on 16 June 1995 at The Hague, the Netherlands and entered into force on 1 November 1999 after the required number of at least fourteen...
) applies.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- IUCN Red List
- Woolly-necked Stork videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection