The White Stork - Ciconia ciconia - is a large mainly white bird, with black on its wings. They have long red legs and long pointed red beak. A small patch of bare black skin surrounds their brown eyes. Sexes are similar in appearance, though males are slightly larger. Juvenile birds are duller in coloration than adults. The black primaries are tinged with brown. Their blackish bills and dull brown legs slowly acquire the red color of the adults as they mature.

Though storks are considered to be largely silent birds, most species perform some variety of a bill-clattering display. This display reaches its most advanced form in the White Stork. They begin by throwing their heads straight back to create an amplifying resonance box in the gular pouch of the lower neck. As they clatter their upper and lower mandibles together rapidly they produce a loud machine-gun-like rattle that rises and falls in pace.

The White Stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa as far south as the western cape South Africa. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids large expanses of water, because the air thermals on which it depends do not form over water.

White Storks are highly opportunistic feeders and eat a wide range of animal prey, including insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and small birds. It takes most of its food from the ground, among low vegetation, and from shallow water. Wintering birds may congregate in large numbers as they utilize a locally abundant food source such as locust or grasshopper swarms.

Breeding White Storks prefer lowland open habitats of wet pastures, flooded meadows, and shallow lakes and marshes with scattered trees for roosting and nesting. They have adapted to nest on man-made structures and forage in freshly plowed fields. A very small population breeds in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is a monogamous breeder, but does not pair for life. Both members of the pair build a large stick nest, which may be used for several years. Each year the female lays one clutch of usually four eggs, which hatch after 33 to 34 days. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the young. The young leave the nest between 58 to 64 days after hatching, and continue to be fed by the parents for a further 7–20 days.

Conservation Status - Least Concern

These striking birds can be seen on the following Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures: -

Aves Arid Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves Eastern Cape Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves Highlands / Tembe Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves KZN Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves North East Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves North West Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves Western Cape Tour/Safari/Adventure.

Aves West Coast Tour/Safari/Adventure.