White stork

White stork Spirals over the hills

חסידה לבנהCiconia ciconia

The white stork is a large white bird with black wing tips and a long red bill. Hundreds of thousands pass through Israel on their way between Europe and Africa each spring and autumn. They are too heavy to flap for long and ride warm air, so they gather in huge, slowly turning spirals and then glide to the next one. Flocks stop overnight in fields and fish ponds. Storks are mentioned in the Bible, and people regard their return in spring as a sign of the season.

Glossary: White stork