The Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) belongs to the family of storks, Ciconiidae. Once the Oriental storks were distributed in Japan, China, Korea and Russia. It is now considered extinct or near extinct in Japan and the Korean peninsula. They winter in South China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A small numbers storks winter in North Korea, South Korea and Japan.
They occasionally winter in the Philippines, north-eastern India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The worldwide population of Oriental stork is estimated to be 3,000 individuals.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these stork species and had listed them as 'Endangered'.
The Oriental storks are large birds, measuring 110 to 130 cm in length and weighing 3,000 to 6,000 grams. They have a wingspan of 190 to 220 cm. They stand 110–150 cm tall. They have a distinctive deep-based black bill.
The skin around the eyes is red and iris are whitish. The male stork is slightly larger than the female. The lower scapulars, tertials, greater coverts, primaries and secondaries are black. The legs are red.
They inhabit marshes, wetlands, grasslands, riverbanks and lakes. They feed on fish, frogs, insects, small birds, reptiles and rodents. The female usually lays between two to six eggs. They breed during April and May. They migrate to wintering places.
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| Indian birds - Oriental stork - Ciconia boyciana |
| Biological classification of Ciconia boyciana | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Ciconiiformes |
| Family: | Ciconiidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Ciconia |
| Species: | C. boyciana |
| Binomial name: | Ciconia boyciana |
| Distribution: | Japan, China, Korea and Russia |
| Feeding habits: | reptiles, rodents, fish, molluscs, crustaceans, |
| IUCN status listing: |  Endangered |
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ciconia_boyciana_-Toyooka,_Hyogo_Prefecture,_Japan-8a.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pelican/58546086/
Author: pelican from Tokyo, Japan | License: CC BY-SA 2.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Oriental stork - Ciconia boyciana.
