An Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) is an Old World white stork that resembles its European relative, the white stork. Formerly, they were considered subspecies of the species of white stork, which is itself a stork species. For this reason, the Oriental stork species is sometimes also referred to as the Oriental white stork. However, due to morphological differences, they have emerged as a separate species. These birds are found covering a wide range throughout east and southeast Asia. Based on their places of occurrence the bird is given different names, for example, they are referred to as the Japanese white stork in Japan, and throughout eastern Russia, they are known as the Far Eastern white stork.The Oriental white stork is categorized as Endangered in the IUCN Red List because of its continuously falling population. They have become extinct in most parts of their former habitat in South Korea and Japan. Habitat loss and hunting are some of the main threats affecting the population of these birds on a large scale. To know more about these birds, keep on reading these amazing facts.For similar content, check out these pine warbler and least sandpiper facts too.
Fun Oriental Stork Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
Oriental Stork Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is an Oriental stork?The Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) is one of the Old World species of the stork family.What class of animal does an Oriental stork belong to?The Oriental white stork of the Ciconiiformes order and the Ciconiidae family belongs to the class Aves, the common class for all birds.How many Oriental storks are there in the world?The Oriental white stork population has decreased rapidly, which is expected to continue even in the near future. In 1999, the total population of Oriental storks was estimated to be around 3000 individuals. This number further decreased in later years, and in 2005, 1994 individuals were recorded in the wild by the Waterbird Survey. In China, the migrating and wintering population is recorded to be between 50-1000 individuals, while in Taiwan, less than 1000 wintering individuals are found. Extreme eastern parts of Russia shelter around 380-480 breeding pairs, but significant declines have been recorded here. The overall population of the species of Oriental white stork ranges between 1,000-2,499 mature individuals, and they are considered to be Endangered in the wild.Where does an Oriental stork live?Oriental white storks are found in Russia and northeastern China during the breeding season, but they migrate south to south China and southeast Asia in the winter. Formerly, they also bred in Korea and Japan but have since become extinct there.What is an Oriental stork’s habitat?In the wild, Oriental storks are found in open wetlands and marshy tidal flats. They prefer to nest in clumps of scattered and tall trees found along riverbanks or wet grasslands in woods. In the winter, they often populate freshwater or estuarine habitat regions. However, foraging takes place strictly on wetlands. Sometimes the bird also nests on artificial structures like electrical pylons.Who does an Oriental stork live with?The social behavior of the bird is very confusing. Sometimes they are found in groups of 300-400 individuals. However, more common observations have proved that they often prefer to stay in solitary nests. Oriental white storks forage alone, but sometimes they are found in small groups that contain 10-15 individuals. In the breeding grounds, these birds nest in loosely packed colonies.How long does an Oriental stork live?Different species of storks have different lifespans. For example, the oldest white stork had a lifespan of 39 years, while one captive-bred Oriental stork lived up to 48 years old. Marabou storks have an average longevity of 25 years in the wild.How do they reproduce?The bird’s breeding season starts around mid-April, and females finish laying their eggs by May. These birds will nest in places from where they can get a proper view of their surroundings. Breeding pairs return to the same nest site for years. The females lay between two and six eggs in total, which is similar to the litter size of wood storks. The chick comes out of the egg after an incubation period of 31-35 days and is looked after by both parents.What is their conservation status?The Oriental white stork (Ciconia boyciana) is listed as an Endangered species in the IUCN Red List because of its very small remaining population in the wild. They have followed a rapidly declining trend. At present, these birds are protected in almost all parts of their range and have been recognized by numerous national conservation sites. Reintroduction methods are being carried out in Japan and South Korea, where they did become extinct.Oriental Stork Fun FactsWhat does Oriental stork look like?The Oriental stork’s physical traits are slightly similar to the traits of their European cousins, the white stork, although the former species is a bit larger than the latter species. Their bodies are mostly covered in snowy white feathers with black tips on their wings and tails. Their distinctive bills are black. They have pale red skin around their eyes, and their eyes are whitish-yellow. They have long orange legs. Males are slightly bigger in size than females. A young bird of this species is covered with white feathers like adults but has an orange bill.How cute are they?Oriental white storks look very soft and peaceful, their white feathers have made them a visually appealing stork.How do they communicate?These birds communicate by their distinct and loud call. In the breeding ground, they clatter their bills loudly as mating calls.How big is an Oriental stork?The length of an Oriental stork ranges between 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm), and the height ranges between 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm). They are a bit smaller in size than the largest stork, the Marabou stork that can grow up to more than 60 in (152.4 cm).How fast can an Oriental stork fly?An Oriental white stork can fly up to 168 mi (270 km) each day in the spring, while in autumn, their speed lowers and they can only cover 107 mi (172.2 km) each day. They can also fly very high. The highest height up to which a stork can fly is 16000 ft (4876.8 m).How much does an Oriental stork weigh?The weight of an Oriental stork ranges between 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg).What are the male and female names of the species?Males and females of this species are respectively referred to as a ‘cock’ and a ‘hen’.What would you call a baby Oriental stork?The baby of an Oriental stork is called a ‘chick’.What do they eat?The diet of Oriental white storks consists of small fish, frogs, insects, crustaceans, small animals, and birds. Sometimes they kill their babies when there is a food shortage, so they have a predatory nature too. These storks can consume locusts. White storks are popular for consuming locusts and are often called great locust birds.Are they poisonous?No, these birds are not poisonous.Would they make a good pet?Storks do not make good pets. They are large birds, and keeping them in a house might be troublesome. They are more comfortable in the wild and it is also illegal to pet storks in certain places.Did you know…In Japan, the birth of an Oriental stork chick was recorded in 2007 for the first time in 40 years after its extinction. The chick belonged to a captive-bred bird pair.Do storks migrate?Yes, these birds are migratory. Oriental white storks migrate between their breeding and wintering habitats. These birds fly to the northeastern part of China in Jilin and Mongolia in the breeding season, with a small breeding population found in the Wuyuerhe River of Heilongjiang Province. They also breed in the Amur, and Ussuri basins present along the eastern border of Russia. In winter, the Oriental white stork species flies southwards to the wintering ground. They mainly nest in the lower Yangtze Basin and in southern China during winter are distributed up to Taiwan and Hong Kong in the south. Some extension of this bird’s wintering grounds is also found in Myanmar, northeast India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. Very few birds fly to North Korea, South Korea, and Japan.How many stork species are there?The stork is a species of long-necked, tall, and migratory birds that feed on small fish, frogs, and other crustaceans. At present, there are 19 living species of storks under six genera.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Fischer’s lovebird facts and Blackburnian warbler facts for kids.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable oriental stork coloring pages.
What type of animal is an Oriental stork?
The Oriental stork (Ciconia boyciana) is one of the Old World species of the stork family.
Fun Oriental Stork Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
Fun Oriental Stork Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
Fun Oriental Stork Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
Fun Oriental Stork Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
What do they prey on? Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat? Carnivore
Average litter size? 2-6
How much do they weigh? 6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they? 39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they? 43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like? White and black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status? Endangered
What do they prey on?
Small fish, insects, crustaceans, birds
What do they eat?
Carnivore
Average litter size?
2-6
How much do they weigh?
6.2–13 lb (2.8–5.9 kg)
How long are they?
39.4–50.8 in (100–129 cm)
How tall are they?
43.3–59 in (110–150 cm)
What do they look like?
White and black
Skin Type
Feathers
What were their main threats?
Habitat Loss
What is their conservation status?
Endangered
Where you’ll find them? Wetlands
Locations East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
Where you’ll find them?
Wetlands
Locations
East Asia
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Ciconia
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Ciconia
Class Aves
Family Ciconiidae
