Ciconia nigra

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	Ciconiiformes	Ciconiidae

Scientific Name:

Ciconia nigra

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Black Stork
French	–	Cigogne Noire

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Evaluator/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.(BirdLife International)

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern
2000	–	Lower Risk/least concern
1994	–	Lower Risk/least concern
1988	–	Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Central African Republic; China; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; France; Georgia; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nigeria; Pakistan; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Chad; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Finland; Gambia; Ghana; Ireland; Kuwait; Liechtenstein; Mali; Niger; Norway; Oman; Qatar; Rwanda; Somalia; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Central African Republic; China; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Estonia; Ethiopia; France; Georgia; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; Hungary; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Lesotho; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malawi; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands; Nigeria; Pakistan; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Uganda; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Chad; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Finland; Gambia; Ghana; Ireland; Kuwait; Liechtenstein; Mali; Niger; Norway; Oman; Qatar; Rwanda; Somalia; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory and travel on a narrow front¹ along well-defined routes^{2, 3}. Some breeding populations (e.g. in Spain) are also sedentary, and southern African breeding birds disperse locally after breeding (often with altitudinal movements)¹. The species is a solitary nester, the timing of breeding varying between populations but generally coinciding with the local spring in the Palearctic Region and southern Africa¹. On migration the species may travel singly⁵ or in small groups¹ of up to 100 individuals⁵, and on its wintering grounds it is normally observed singly or in small groups of less than 30 individuals³ (although it may also roost communally in South Africa)³. Habitat The species inhabits old, undisturbed, open forests^{1, 5} from sea-level up to mountainous regions (e.g. 2,000-2,500 m in altitude)². It forages in shallow streams, pools, marshes¹, swampy patches⁵, damp meadows², flood-plains, pools in dry riverbeds⁴ and occasionally grasslands¹ especially where there are stands of reeds or long grass³. It generally avoids large bodies of water and dense forest¹, but non-breeding birds may frequent the estuaries of tidal rivers in South Africa². Diet It is predominantly piscivorous although it may also take amphibians, insects, snails, crabs, small reptiles, mammals and birds¹. Breeding site The nest is a large construction of sticks¹ positioned between 4-25 m high² in large forest trees^{1, 9} or on cliffs (southern Africa and Spain)¹. The species shows a preference for nesting in trees that have canopies large enough to hold the nest away from the main trunk (e.g. trees 25 m high, 120 years old and with a diameter at breast height of 66 cm)⁹. It nests solitarily, with pairs spread out in the landscape at a distance of no less than 1 km (even where the species is most numerous)². The species may occupy the nests of other bird species such as Aquila verreauxi or Hamerkop Scopus umbretta and commonly reuses nests in successive years¹. Management information A study in Estonia found that the retention of large older trees during forest management is important in providing nesting sites for the species⁹. Conservation measures aimed at increasing the species's breeding success and population density should cover large territories of predominantly deciduous woodland and should focus on managing the river quality as far as 20 km away from nesting sites, protecting and managing feeding habitats, and improving food resources by establishing shallow artificial pools in grasslands or along rivers⁸.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory and travel on a narrow front¹ along well-defined routes^{2, 3}. Some breeding populations (e.g. in Spain) are also sedentary, and southern African breeding birds disperse locally after breeding (often with altitudinal movements)¹. The species is a solitary nester, the timing of breeding varying between populations but generally coinciding with the local spring in the Palearctic Region and southern Africa¹. On migration the species may travel singly⁵ or in small groups¹ of up to 100 individuals⁵, and on its wintering grounds it is normally observed singly or in small groups of less than 30 individuals³ (although it may also roost communally in South Africa)³. Habitat The species inhabits old, undisturbed, open forests^{1, 5} from sea-level up to mountainous regions (e.g. 2,000-2,500 m in altitude)². It forages in shallow streams, pools, marshes¹, swampy patches⁵, damp meadows², flood-plains, pools in dry riverbeds⁴ and occasionally grasslands¹ especially where there are stands of reeds or long grass³. It generally avoids large bodies of water and dense forest¹, but non-breeding birds may frequent the estuaries of tidal rivers in South Africa². Diet It is predominantly piscivorous although it may also take amphibians, insects, snails, crabs, small reptiles, mammals and birds¹. Breeding site The nest is a large construction of sticks¹ positioned between 4-25 m high² in large forest trees^{1, 9} or on cliffs (southern Africa and Spain)¹. The species shows a preference for nesting in trees that have canopies large enough to hold the nest away from the main trunk (e.g. trees 25 m high, 120 years old and with a diameter at breast height of 66 cm)⁹. It nests solitarily, with pairs spread out in the landscape at a distance of no less than 1 km (even where the species is most numerous)². The species may occupy the nests of other bird species such as Aquila verreauxi or Hamerkop Scopus umbretta and commonly reuses nests in successive years¹. Management information A study in Estonia found that the retention of large older trees during forest management is important in providing nesting sites for the species⁹. Conservation measures aimed at increasing the species's breeding success and population density should cover large territories of predominantly deciduous woodland and should focus on managing the river quality as far as 20 km away from nesting sites, protecting and managing feeding habitats, and improving food resources by establishing shallow artificial pools in grasslands or along rivers⁸.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The main threat to this species is habitat degradation^{1, 2, 6, 7, 9}. The area of suitable habitat available for breeding is being reduced in Russia and Eastern Europe through deforestation¹ (particularly the destruction of large traditional nesting trees)^{2, 9}, the rapid development of industry and farming², the building of dams⁶ and lake drainage for irrigation and hydroelectric power production⁷. The species's wetland wintering habitats in Africa are further threatened by conversion¹, agricultural intensification, desertification and pollution caused by the concentration of pesticides and other chemicals^{1, 6}. The species is also occasionally killed by collisions with power-lines and overhead cables⁴, and hunting in southern Europe and tropical Asia (especially during migration) have caused population declines².

Major Threat(s):

The main threat to this species is habitat degradation^{1, 2, 6, 7, 9}. The area of suitable habitat available for breeding is being reduced in Russia and Eastern Europe through deforestation¹ (particularly the destruction of large traditional nesting trees)^{2, 9}, the rapid development of industry and farming², the building of dams⁶ and lake drainage for irrigation and hydroelectric power production⁷. The species's wetland wintering habitats in Africa are further threatened by conversion¹, agricultural intensification, desertification and pollution caused by the concentration of pesticides and other chemicals^{1, 6}. The species is also occasionally killed by collisions with power-lines and overhead cables⁴, and hunting in southern Europe and tropical Asia (especially during migration) have caused population declines².

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Ciconia nigra. In: IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 14 March 2010.
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