It is a bird of black and white plumage and red beak. Young storks have the bill initially black and then brown. It measures an average of 100 and 115 cm from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail, its wings can have a wingspan between 155 and 215 cm and a weight of 2.3-4.5 kg. They live in marshy areas, wet meadows and surface waters in open terrain. It is a migratory bird that flies to its winter quarters in East Africa along two well-defined routes (over the Strait of Gibraltar and over the Bosphorus). Its large nest is located at great height, on buildings, towers, fireplaces and trees, in clear locations. The incubation time for their 3 to 5 eggs is 33 or 34 days. The chickens remain in the nest for 54 to 63 days. Until the fourth week after hatching there is always an adult who remains vigilant next to the nest. After this period, one of the parents can already take care of raising the offspring alone. It feeds on small mammals, insects, worms; in smaller quantities also frogs, crustaceans, lizards, snakes, fish and carrion. When they return from their winter quarters, at first they feed practically on earthworms (up to 90%). In wintering areas the main element of their diet is grasshoppers.