mother stork is feeding

Stork is the name for a bird from the Ciconiidae family. The body is large, has long legs, has a long neck but is shorter than the egret, and has a large, strong and thick beak. Storks can be found in warm climates. Habitat in drier areas than egrets and ibises. Food consists of frogs, fish, insects, worms, small birds and small mammals from wetlands and beaches. The stork does not have a syrinx, so it doesn't make a sound. Beak that is pitted against its partner is a way of communicating instead of voice calls. The stork is a migratory shorebird, flying long distances by hovering using hot air currents so it can save energy. A photograph of a crane in flight by Ottomar Anschütz (1884) inspired Otto Lilienthal to create a glider used for kite flying in the late 19th century. The stork is a heavy bird with a wide wingspan. The African species Leptoptilos crumeniferus has a wingspan of 3.2 meters, so it has been dubbed "the land bird with the longest wingspan in the world" in competition with the Condor of the Andes Mountains. Nests are used for several years, are very large, up to 2 meters in diameter. and a nest depth of 3 meters. The stork was once thought to be monogamous, but that's not always true. Storks tend to be loyal to the nest and to their mates, but may also change partners after migration or go migrating unaccompanied by their mates. The large body, monogamous nature, and loyalty to the nesting place make the crane often used as a symbol of happiness in many cultures and myths.