White Stork

(Ciconia ciconia)

photo and text by Walther Enkerlin

The charm of Rust, Austria had been lost for some years. The white storks came to nest in diminishing numbers until a record low of 8 pairs. Alarmed, local authorities took several measures; such as ensure that the area around the town had enough refuge and feeding areas for storks, and that visitors were kept from those grounds. Those measures have worked well, and the number of nesting pairs has risen to 120. This photo shows a couple of white storks nesting on a chimney in a house in front of the town’s church.

White storks are large birds, standing nearly 3 feet high, with white plumage, except for the black flight feathers. Adults have a red bill and legs.