STORK (AS. store, OHG. storah, Ger. Starch, stork; connected with Gk. 76p7oc, torgos, vul ture). The popular name for a family of birds, the Ciconiidre, allied to the herons and ibises. They are large birds, with long legs, half-webbed toes; the bill longer than the bead, straight, strong, pointed, and without any groove; the nostrils pierced longitudinally in the horny sub stance; the eyes surrounded by naked skin. The species are about twenty-five in number and are of very wide geographic distribution. The common white stork (Ciconia alba), a migratory native of the greater part of the Old World, is about three and a half feet in length. The head, neck, and whole body are pure white; the wings partly black; the bill and legs red. The neck is long, and generally carried in an arched form; the feathers of the breast are long and pendulous, and the bird often has its bill half hidden among them. The stork frequents marshy places, feed ing on eels and other fishes, batraehians, reptiles, young birds, and small mammals. It makes a
rude nest of sticks. reeds, etc., on the tops of tall trees, or of ruins, spires, or disused chim neys. The stork has no voice. Its flight is pow erful and very high in the air. The flesh is rank, and not fit for food. Another species, the black stork (Ciconia nigra), rather smaller, the plu mage of the upper parts glossy black, the under parts white, is also common in many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The South American stork (Dissovra maquari) is very similar to the common stork.
The only birds of this family occurring in North America are the wood ibises of the South ern States and the jabiru (q.v.). They are largo birds, three and a half feet long, with the head and neck bare, wings and tail black, and rest of plumage white. They are found in large flocks and nest in colonies. See ADJUTANT; ; etc.; and Colored Plate of WADERS.