EuropeLeast concern
White stork
Ciconia ciconia
A tall black-and-white bird that builds big nests on bell towers, chimneys and poles.
- Weight
- Up to 4.5 kg
- Size
- 2.1 m wingspan
- Lifespan
- Up to 30 years
- Top speed
- About 45 km/h flying
- Diet
- Frogs, insects, worms
How heavy is that?
About 11% of a 40 kg kid
Where it lives
Three things to know
- Storks have almost no voice: they 'talk' by clattering their beaks.
- Many now spend the winter in Spain instead of flying to Africa.
- A nest can be used for many years and grow very heavy.
Compare with…
- Weight
- White stork4.5 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe kid weighs about 9× as much as the white stork
- Size
- White stork2.1 mA 10-year-old kid1.4 mThe white stork is about 1.5× as big as the kid
- Top speed
- White stork45 km/hA 10-year-old kid20 km/hThe white stork is about 2.3× as fast as the kid
- Lifespan
- White stork30 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 2.7× as long as the white stork
