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Black stork, Ciconia nigra, Pusztaszer landscape protected area, Hungary
The black stork is a bird of mythical status, also called the "Red dagger". In days gone by, it used to be considered a bad omen, in contrast to its white cousin. Black storks are shy creatures of forested swamps/wetlands and rivers in mountain areas. It breeds from Portugal in the west to China in the east, with its' largest European population found in Poland (around 3,000 pairs). However, they seem to be coming back in numbers all across the continent, such as in Germany, where they have increased from 25 pairs in 1970 to more than 500 pairs in 2010. Most black storks spend their winters in Africa, but some, like the Spanish birds, choose to enjoy the mild winters of the Mediterranean. Re-wetting forested swamps and prevoiusly drained wetlands is slowly bringing the black stork back. With the wetlands back in place, the remaining obstacle is for the birds to find large trees strong enough to carry their nests.
Copyright
Staffan Widstrand www.staffanwidstrand.se photo@staffanwidstrand.se
Image Size
7501x5000 / 18.6MB
Contained in galleries
Hungary
Black stork, Ciconia nigra, Pusztaszer landscape protected area, Hungary<br /> The black stork is a bird of mythical status, also called the "Red dagger". In days gone by, it used to be considered a bad omen, in contrast to its white cousin. Black storks are shy creatures of forested swamps/wetlands and rivers in mountain areas. It breeds from Portugal in the west to China in the east, with its' largest European population found in Poland (around 3,000 pairs). However, they seem to be coming back in numbers all across the continent, such as in Germany, where they have increased from 25 pairs in 1970 to more than 500 pairs in 2010. Most black storks spend their winters in Africa, but some, like the Spanish birds, choose to enjoy the mild winters of the Mediterranean. Re-wetting forested swamps and prevoiusly drained wetlands is slowly bringing the black stork back. With the wetlands back in place, the remaining obstacle is for the birds to find large trees strong enough to carry their nests.