The
white stork (
Ciconia ciconia) is a large bird in the stork family,
Ciconiidae. Its
plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100 to 115 centimetres (39 to 45 inches) from the beak tip to the end of the tail, with a wingspan of 155 to 215 centimetres (61 to 85 inches). It is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical
sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent. A
carnivore, it eats a wide range of animal prey, including insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and small birds. This white stork in flight was photographed in
Andalusia, Spain, carrying a piece of plastic. It is fitted with a
wildlife transmitter on its back.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
_in_flight_with_transmitter.jpg)
