Large wader (about 105 cm or 3.5 ft) with also large wingspan (about 205 cm or 6.5 ft), very similar to the White Stork although the plumage of the neck and the back is black with greenish and blue reflections. White underparts, orange legs, red bill and eye-ring. In flight an all black silhouette with legs stretched out and a white spot framed between the wings and the neck can be observed.
Cultivated areas, river and riverside
Elusive species linked to water habitats which does not use the urban environment. In winter it is present in banks with rocky gorges and wetlands. At the time of breeding, in wooded areas near rocky outcrops, rivers and reservoirs.
Scarce bird in the province. Wintering. It can also be watched in migratory passage towards its territories south of the Sahara. The Black Stork builds the nest in trees or in rocky outcrops near river banks and reservoirs. A single annual laying of 2 to 6 eggs. It feeds mainly on fish and other small terrestrial vertebrates. Normally solitary during the breeding period and in small groups in winter.
During the migration periods, the species can be observed practically anywhere in the province. During the winter the confluence between the Grande and Guadalhorce rivers is a good place for watching. In the Great Path it can be observed in migratory passage in stages 31 and 32.
It is a much more forest bird than the White Stork and, progressively, is also establishing wintering areas that do not force it to cross the Sahara. Those new wintering areas are located in the central axis of its migratory route and Malaga occupies a preferential place among them.
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