White stork

The wandering bird that brings good luck

The stork is a white bird with long legs and a long bill. In spring it comes to Uzbekistan, builds big nests on minarets and poles, and in autumn flies to Africa — 10,000 km! A stork doesn't sing — it 'clatters' its bill. Our people see the stork as a sign of good luck — a house with its nest is fortunate. Storks eat frogs, snakes and locusts.

The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a migratory bird (1 m, 2 m wingspan) that nests in Europe, North Africa and West Asia and winters in Africa. In Uzbekistan it nests in the Fergana Valley and Tashkent region; stork nests on Bukhara's minarets were a symbol of the city for centuries, but after the marshes were drained in the 20th century the storks vanished from Bukhara — efforts are under way to bring them back. It has no developed vocal cords — it communicates by clattering its bill. It migrates by soaring on thermals and avoids the sea — crossing at the Bosphorus and Gibraltar. Its nest is 2 m wide and up to 500 kg, added to over the years. The legend that 'storks bring babies' comes from Europe.

Fun facts

• A stork's nest can weigh 500 kg — as much as a small car!
• Storks won't fly over the sea — they go round via the Bosphorus to reach Africa.
• There used to be stork nests on Bukhara's minarets — now they're being brought back.