The white stork is found across Europe from France east to Russia, Spain south to North Africa, parts of central Asia and South Africa. They spend their winters in Africa, Iran and India.
   In summertime, the white stork lives in open country. They search grasslands, meadows and fields of crops or plowed lands for food. They often rest in damp and waterlogged areas that offer cover such as vegetation around drainage ditches, canals, shallow pools and marshes. They nest and roost on trees, cliffs, buildings and other man made structures such as telephone poles, water towers and church spires.
   In their wintering areas, they frequent cultivated fields and grassland in arid, lowland plains.

   A great opportunist, the white stork eats whatever small prey they come across. Much of their diet includes earthworms and large insects, especially beetles, locusts and grasshoppers. In parts of Africa, The are know as the 'grasshopper bird'. They also hunt snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and mammals such as voles, mice, hamsters and moles.
   The white stork devours most prey whole. They stab larger victims to death with their pointed bill. Then they rend the bodies and devour the pieces. When prey is abundant, the stork feeds rapidly: one individual ate 44 mice, two hamsters, and a frog in one hour.

   By the end of February, the first white storks have begun to arrive at the species' southern most breeding grounds. The may not reach the northern and eastern parts of their range until early April. The male is faithful to his old nest rather than a mate.He arrives alone ready to court the first female that appears. Some pairs stay together for several seasons.
   After an energetic display that involves head bowing, neck stretchingand bill clattering, the female lays an averag of four eggs. Both sexes take turns incubating a clutch for over a month. The downy chicks are fed by the parents on regurgitated food for about nine weeks. After three more weeks, the chicks are fully independent.