Black Stork killing chick

The black stork is a ciconiform bird of the stork family. It inhabits lakes, rivers or wetlands surrounded by dense forests. The black stork is distributed in Portugal, it only frequents more inland, inhospitable and isolated regions. International rivers, such as the Douro, Tagus and Guadiana rivers offer privileged conditions for this species, mainly due to the low human disturbance registered there and the abundance of nesting sites. The black stork is slightly smaller than the white stork. It is characterized by white plumage on the abdomen and black with metallic reflections on the back, tail, head and neck. The beak and legs, bright red in adults, are greenish and much lighter in juveniles. Its dark, metallic plumage can sometimes reflect sunlight, making it appear quite pale from afar. Its diet is very similar to that of the white stork. It includes a higher percentage of fish and other aquatic life. Their food regime makes these birds extremely useful for agriculture, as they eat numerous insects and serve as controllers of possible pests. The basis of their diet consists of crustaceans, amphibians and small fish. The black stork migration month is in March, immediately starting the breeding season. It prefers to nest on the highest cliffs, away from human civilization or in the branches of the largest pines. Incubation lasts twenty days or more. Recently, surveillance cameras were placed by ornithologists near a black stork nest. As we watched the nest and its occupants, the adult stork began to attack one of its young. Having received many violent blows to the neck. As we can see, storks are not capable of killing their young. In the end, the bird died from serious injuries. This behavior occurs often enough for storks and other birds. The stork kills the weakest of the brood when it cannot provide enough food for everyone, or when a bird behaves abnormally, shows signs of illness, deficiency or weakness. Instinct commands parents to eliminate the “suspicious” bird from the nest so as not to endanger other healthy chicks, once their older siblings successfully hatch. If the chicks do not aggressively compete for food, the parents would be forced to eliminate the extra chick themselves, that is, the weaker one.

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