Everyone knows white storks. Many of us have seen these large birds and admired their immaculate nests, built on the roofs of houses or pillars. But very few people know that in wild these birds can be not only white colour. The most rare and interesting species are black storks, which differ from their counterparts in plumage color.

Despite the fact that their habitat is wide enough, but the number of birds have been consistently low for many years. Storks nest almost throughout Eurasia, in some regions separate settlements have been formed, and in South Africa there is a sedentary population of this species. 

Black storks are slightly smaller in size than their white counterparts, but the wingspan usually reaches two meters. Birds weight about 3 kilograms. Their legs, beak and skin around the eyes are red, the color of the feathers is black with green and purple tints, only the lower part remains white. To see these birds near human settlements is not so easy, because they are not only rare, but also secretive. They prefer to nest near water bodies, in forests and foothills.

By nature, black storks are faithful birds. Usually they create a couple once and for life. They return from the warm edges around the middle of spring and are immediately accepted for the arrangement of the nest. There have been cases when chicks were hatched in one place for 14 years. This species does not form colonies, but prefers to settle alone. Therefore, one pair occupies a large territory. 

The main food of black storks are fish, snakes, lizards and large insects. They usually hunt in aquatic wetlands or coastal areas.

These birds constantly face a variety of threats, including the destruction of their natural habitat, pesticide poisoning, and illegal hunting. International and national organizations are working to conserve this rare species and its habitats.