Ciconia
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Ciconia Temporal range: Early Miocene to present |
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| Fledgling (left) and adult European white stork (Ciconia ciconia ciconia) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Ciconiiformes |
| Family: | Ciconiidae |
| Genus: |
Ciconia Brisson, 1760 |
| Species | |
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Ciconia abdimii |
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| Synonyms | |
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Xenorhynchus |
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Ciconia abdimii
Ciconia boyciana
Ciconia ciconia
Ciconia episcopus
Ciconia maguari
Ciconia nigra
Ciconia stormi
Xenorhynchus
Ciconia is a genus of birds in the stork family. The genus name is the Latin word for "stork", and was originally recorded in the works of Horace and Ovid.
Six of the seven living species occur in the Old World, but the maguari stork has a South American range. In addition, fossils suggest that Ciconia storks were somewhat more common in the tropical Americas in prehistoric times.
These are large storks, typically 100 cm tall, with a 180 cm wingspan and a long thick bill. Members of this genus are more variable in plumage than other storks, but several species have black upper bodies and wings, and white belly and undertail. Juveniles are a duller, browner version of the adult.
Ciconia storks are gregarious and colonial breeders, and pairs stay together for life. They typically build large stick nests in trees, although the maguari stork will nest on the ground and at least three species will construct their nests on human habitations. One of these, the white stork, is probably the best known of all storks, with a wealth of legend and folklore associated with this familiar visitor to Europe.
These storks feed on frogs, insects, young birds, lizards and rodents. They fly with the neck outstretched, like most other storks, but unlike herons which retract their neck in flight.
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Wikipedia