Oriental stork
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Adult oriental white storks communicate by clattering their bills together.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Oriental stork
- Scientific name
- Ciconia boyciana
- Japanese name
- コウノトリ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Ciconiiformes
- Family
- Ciconiidae
- Genus
- Ciconia
In Japanese it is sometimes also called Nihon-kounotori.
It lives in Japan, northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula and nearby areas, in wetlands, riverbanks and rice paddies dotted with trees.
Its body feathers are white, with some black on the wings. Its bill is black, and bare red skin shows around its eyes.
It eats fish, amphibians, earthworms, snails and more. It builds a nest of branches and grass on top of a tree with a good view.
How the Oriental stork lives
It generally lives alone or in a pair. The parents take turns keeping their eggs warm. The parents bring swallowed food back to the nest and regurgitate it for their chicks. Before leaving the nest, chicks practice flying by jumping on the nest.
上野動物園豊岡市立コウノトリ文化館Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 100–120 cmWingspan: 180–200 cm
- Weight
- 4–5 kg
- Diet
- Fish, amphibians, small mammals, snails, earthworms, and small birds
- Range
- Japan, northeastern China, the Amur and Ussuri river basins, and the Korean Peninsula
- Conservation status in Japan
- Endangered (EN)Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)
Where the Oriental stork has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- コウノトリ
- 简体中文
- 东方白鹳
- 繁體中文
- 東方白鸛
- 한국어
- 황새
- Español
- Cigüeña oriental
- Français
- Cigogne orientale
- Deutsch
- Schwarzschnabelstorch
- Português (Brasil)
- Cegonha-oriental
- Italiano
- Cicogna bianca orientale
- العربية
- لقلق أبيض شرقي
- Русский
- Дальневосточный аист
- বাংলা
- উদয়ী মানিকজোড়
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 上野動物園 — ニホンコウノトリChecked: 2026-11-03
- 豊岡市立コウノトリ文化館 — コウノトリChecked: 2026-11-05
- Ministry of the Environment of Japan, 5th Red List (2026)Checked: 2026-11-07
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
The conservation status in Japan is the category in the Red Lists of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan, which assess the risk of extinction for wild animals in Japan.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Oriental stork, look for this
- You may see it fly with its neck stretched straight.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
豊岡市立コウノトリ文化館EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Oriental stork
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Ciconiidae
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