Black stork
Amazing fact
A black stork's bill and legs turn brown in winter.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
A black stork's bill and legs turn brown in winter.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Black stork
- Scientific name
- Ciconia nigra
- Japanese name
- ナベコウ
- Group
- Birds
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Ciconiiformes
- Family
- Ciconiidae
- Genus
- Ciconia
It lives in Eurasia and Africa and raises its young in quiet woods near water.
Its black feathers have a green and purple sheen, and its belly is white. Its bill and legs are red.
It looks for prey while standing in the water with its wings spread. When it spots food, it lunges forward and grabs it with its long bill.
How the Black stork lives
They are active during the day. They usually hunt alone, but may gather in groups where food is abundant. In the Northern Hemisphere, breeding begins in spring, with nests of moss, grass and soil built in trees. They reuse their nests in later years.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web多摩動物公園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 95–100 cmWingspan: 144–155 cm多摩動物公園
- Weight
- about 3 kg多摩動物公園
- Lifespan
- up to 18 years in the wild, up to 31 years in captivityUniversity of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Active
- By day (diurnal)University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web
- Diet
- Mainly fish, as well as amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates多摩動物公園
- Range
- Mid-latitude Eurasia, southern Africa, northern India to southern China, and central Africa south of the Sahara多摩動物公園
Where the Black 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
- ナベコウ
- 简体中文
- 黑鹳
- 繁體中文
- 黑鸛
- 한국어
- 먹황새
- Español
- Cigüeña negra
- Français
- Cigogne noire
- Deutsch
- Schwarzstorch
- Português (Brasil)
- Cegonha-preta
- Italiano
- Cicogna nera
- العربية
- لقلق أسود
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Bangau hitam
- Tiếng Việt
- Hạc đen
- Русский
- Чёрный аист
- Türkçe
- Kara leylek
- ไทย
- นกกระสาดำ
- বাংলা
- কালো মানিকজোড়
- اردو
- سیاہ سارس
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 多摩動物公園 — ナベコウChecked: 2026-11-03
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Ciconia nigraChecked: 2026-11-03
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.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Black stork, look for this
- Look for the neck stretched out when it flies.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Black stork
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
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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