Black Stork

Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) is a large stork with glossy black upperparts, a white belly and, in adults, a long red bill and red legs. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in quiet forests and feeds along rivers, marshes and shallow pools, walking slowly while taking fish, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates; many northern birds migrate long distances. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).