Abdim's Stork

Abdimstorch (Ciconia abdimii )

The Abdimstorch, rain or Abdim stork (Ciconia abdimii ) is an African species of storks. He is a close relative of the European species White Stork and Black Stork.

Description

The plumage of the Abdimstorchs is oberseits dyed black brown with a purplish or greenish gloss; the belly is white. The face is characterized by bare skin, wearing blue, red and pink colors; the breeding season they are much brighter. With a length of 75 to 80 cm of Abdimstorch is significantly smaller than white and black stork.

Dissemination

The breeding area is located south of the Sahara, extending from Senegal to Somalia. It is a characteristic breeding bird of the Sahel, the West African savannas and the Ethiopian Highlands. A small breeding population also found in Yemen. After the end of the breeding season, the storks fly over on the way to the winter quarters of the equator and spend the rest of the year in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The total population of the Abdimstorches is estimated by the IUCN 300000-600000 animals. He is regarded as so safely. The Abdimstorch feed almost exclusively on insects. Above all, locusts and caterpillars make his prey. This makes the Abdimstorch in many parts of its range to a very popular bird, are built for the large in some villages baskets on hut roofs to facilitate him the nest. In addition, the Abdimstorch local superstitions According considered as a lucky charm and rain.

System

Previously, the Abdimstorch was placed in a monotypic genus Sphenorhynchus. The name goes back to Abdim Abdim Bey (1780-1827), the Egyptian governor of Dongola ( in modern Sudan ), which felt obliged the first to describe Martin Lichtenstein.