Free Teacher Resources
A white stork with black wing feathers and a red bill walking in grass.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

White Stork

Ciconia ciconia

A big white-and-black bird with a red bill that breeds in Europe, winters in Africa and inspired the story of storks delivering babies.

🪿 Wading Birds
Checking teacher reviews…
Teacher? Sign in to review this page →Report a mistake

About the White Stork

White storks breed in Europe and southwestern Asia in spring and summer. In August or September they migrate in large flocks to Africa, riding warm rising air. They hunt in grasslands, marshes and floodplains, eating mice, voles, large insects, frogs, snakes, lizards, fish and more. Their long red legs help keep them warm while wading.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Ciconia ciconia[1]
Diet
Carnivore. Small mammals, large insects, frogs, snakes, lizards, fish and more.[1]
Habitat
Grasslands, shallow marshes, lagoons and floodplains.[1]
Where it lives
Breeds in Europe and southwestern Asia; winters in Africa.[1]
Group life
Migrates in large flocks. Pairs often mate for life.[1]
Babies
Three to five eggs, incubated about a month. Chicks fly about two months after hatching.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).[2]

Fun facts

  • The story of storks delivering babies probably started in northern Europe.[1]
  • White storks often reuse the same nest year after year.[1]
  • They ride rising warm air to help them migrate to Africa.[1]

Vocabulary

migrate
To travel from one region to another as the seasons change.
thermal
A rising column of warm air that birds use to gain height.
myth
A traditional story that is not literally true.
carnivore
An animal that eats mostly meat.
wade
To walk through shallow water.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Zoo Atlanta. “White Stork.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/white-stork/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Ciconia ciconia (White Stork).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697691/86248677 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

A pink American flamingo standing in dark blue water.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.A blue-gray blue crane with long trailing wing feathers walking on rocky ground.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.A white cattle egret with buff-orange breeding feathers on its head perched on a branch.Cattle EgretBubulcus ibisA small white heron that follows grazing animals to catch the insects they stir up, and has spread from Africa around the world.A pink Chilean flamingo wading and feeding in shallow water.Chilean FlamingoPhoenicopterus chilensisA pink flamingo of the high, cold salt flats of the southern Andes that feeds with its head upside down.A grey crowned crane with a golden crown of feathers walking in grass.Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum (East African crowned crane: B. r. gibbericeps)An endangered African crane with a crown of stiff golden feathers, shown on the flag of Uganda. Also called the East African crowned crane.A brown hamerkop with a hammer-shaped head perched on a dead tree stump.HamerkopScopus umbrettaA brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.A marabou stork with a bald pinkish head, a hanging throat pouch and dark wings standing on grass.Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumeniferA huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.A bright red scarlet ibis with a long curved bill standing on a log.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.A tall wattled crane with a white neck and gray wings standing on grass.Wattled CraneBugeranus carunculatusA tall African wetland crane with flaps of skin hanging from its chin that shrink when it's nervous and lengthen when it's excited.