Quite an extensive species of birds, whose representatives can differ significantly from each other. Stork birds are united by the presence of long legs, well adapted for walking in shallow water and wetlands. All storks prefer to settle along water bodies, and the basis of their food is aquatic inhabitants. For hunting, storks use a long and sharp beak, with which they catch prey, looking for it in the water. Storks rarely live in large flocks, preferring to settle in pairs in large nests that look rather untidy. They can settle near a person’s dwelling, quickly getting used to such a neighborhood.
stork family
Storks prefer open spaces and the presence of a closely located reservoir. Their food is quite varied and can even include small rodents. But most often storks hunt in water bodies, preferring small fish or frogs. Thanks to their large wings and light weight, storks can travel long distances in search of more suitable living conditions.
White stork
Black stork
Far Eastern stork
White-bellied stork (Rain)
White-necked stork
Malayan woolly-necked stork
Heron family
Herons include about 70 different species and are one of the largest bird families. A characteristic feature of this family is a long neck and a narrow beak. All herons prefer to settle along small swampy reservoirs. The basis of their food is small fish, frogs and invertebrates. Birds prefer to live in large colonies, sometimes together with other species.
great egret
bittern
Egyptian heron
yellow heron
Little egret
Little Bittern (Volchok)
common night heron
red heron
gray heron
Ibis family
Ibis have certain traits common to other storks. These are long legs and an elongated beak. Most ibis prefer tropical and subtropical climates. Those birds that settle in temperate latitudes are migratory and leave their homes with the onset of cold weather. Ibis live in large flocks, forming monogamous pairs.
Karavayka
common spoonbill
Black-necked ibis
bald ibis
red-legged ibis
black ibis
green ibis
Conclusion
Storks are quite widespread throughout Eurasia. The meat of these birds is of no commercial value, so people practically did not hunt them, allowing them to build nests near their homes. For a long time it was believed that such a neighborhood brings good luck and will help the owner of the house to achieve prosperity. The exception was the white heron, whose feathers had a rather high price and were sold to foreign merchants. This provoked a massive hunt for white herons, which almost led to the extinction of the species. Now hunting for them is prohibited and the herons were able to fully restore their population.
