Black stork

This species breeds in almost all European countries (expect Finland, Norway, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Switzerland and Cyprus), Asia (south to the Persian Gulf, east to Sakhalin Island) and South Africa. In Bulgaria it is found as a breeding summer visitor and passage migrant, it partly winters. Some of the established pairs nest in the valley of the Arda River. Most couples are found in the Rhodopes, the Middle Tundzha valley, the Danube valley, etc. Regular wintering couples are found north of Plovdiv in rice fields.

In Bulgaria, the Black stork reaches a body length of 97 cm and a wingspan of 150 cm. the pattern in adults is mostly white – on the chest, abdomen and armpit, and the rest of the plumage is black with a greenish metallic lustre. The beak, bridle and legs are bright red. In the juveniles, the head, neck and chest are dark brown, and the rest of the upper body is brown without a metallic lustre. Their beak is olive green.

The spring migration is from the beginning of March to the beginning of April. The young ones (between 2 and 4) remain in the nest until the second half of July or the beginning of August. The autumn migration is from the second half of August to the end of October. It mainly feeds on fish. They inhabit valleys and mountain deciduous forests, rock complexes, river gorges, dams, micro-dams, fishponds, rice fields, etc. Most nesting sites are marked at an altitude of 600 to 800 m, and the least from 1200 to 1300 m above sea level. They migrate on a narrow front in flocks and rarely in mixed groups with white storks, pelicans and large predatory birds.

Unknown.

This species is included in the Red Book of Bulgaria with the category “Vulnerable” (VU), as well as in Annexes 2 and 3 of the Biodiversity Act (BDA). The black stork is included in Annex I to Directive 2009/147 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds.

The species is included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the category – “Least Concern”. It is also included in Annex II of the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

*Note: For the description of birds is used information from: Golemanski, V. & al. (eds). 2015. Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. Vol. 2. Animals. BAS & MoEW, Sofia [English ed.: ISBN 978-954-9746-22-8 (IBER – BAS), 978-954-8497-18-3 (MoEW)]; Michev T., D. Simeonov, L. Profirov. 2012. Birds of the Balkan Peninsula. Ecotan, Sofia, 300 pp; the website of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).