{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "stork",
  "name": "White Stork",
  "scientificName": "Ciconia ciconia",
  "category": "Bird",
  "summary": "The white stork is a tall, long-legged wading bird of wet meadows, farmland, and wetlands across Eurasia, instantly recognisable by its white plumage, black wing tips, and bright red bill and legs. Standing over a metre tall and weighing up to about 4.5 kg, it is a powerful soaring migrant that winters in Africa. It feeds on frogs, insects, rodents, and fish, and can live 20 to 25 years in the wild.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Aves",
    "order": "Ciconiiformes",
    "family": "Ciconiidae",
    "genus": "Ciconia"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 4,
    "lengthM": 1.1,
    "topSpeedKmh": 45,
    "lifespanYears": 25
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Ciconia ciconia"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — frogs, insects, rodents, and fish"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Wet meadows, farmland, and wetlands across Eurasia"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "20–25 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "2.5–4.5 kg (5.5–10 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 45 km/h (28 mph) soaring on thermals"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "White stork breeding across Europe from Portugal to Kazakhstan; winters in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to South Africa.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa",
      "Asia",
      "Europe"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Ciconia ciconia.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Ciconia%20ciconia&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Ciconia ciconia. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ciconia_ciconia/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stork/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stork/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}