Differences between Ostrich and Stork

Ostrich and Stork are two classes of birds that belong to the Struthionidae and Ciconiidae families respectively.

Ostriches are the tallest and heaviest birds on the planet. They are flightless birds but are tremendous runners. They have long legs built with muscles strong enough to even kick a lion. These terrestrial birds have a long neck and sloppy feathers. They have a small brain, three stomachs, and large brown eyes with black lashes. The plumage of adult male is black with white marks and white tail, while that of the adult female and young males is a combination of grey, brown, and white. The birds do not have feather on their head and neck. There are two living species of Ostriches, namely, Common Ostrich and Somali Ostrich.

Stork is a large wading bird with long legs and long beak. Its beak and legs are usually red in color, while its eyes are grey. The color of its body could be streaks of white, black, and red depending on the geography. The bird’s head and upper neck are usually not covered with feathers. The Stork is almost mute as it has an undeveloped syrinx. The Stork family consists of about 20 species of birds such as Marabou Stork and Adjutant Stork. The family is related to Herons, Ibises, and Flamingos.

Where are Ostrich and Stork found?

Ostriches are found in the savanna, plains, woodlands, and deserts of Africa. They like open lands with grass and vegetation. The birds also like to bathe in water. Ostriches now exist only in the wild in African countries like South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and Sudan.

Storks choose to live near marshes, grasslands, meadows, rivers, ponds, and lakes. They are not prevalent across the world. They exist chiefly in Asia, Africa, and Europe. One bird from their species can be found in Australia, while three others occur around Argentina and Florida.

What do Ostrich and Stork eat?

Ostriches are herbivores. They eat seeds, fruits, flowers, roots, and plants. However, if food is scarce in the habitat, Ostriches also eat insects, rodents, lizards, and small tortoises.

Storks are carnivores that mainly eat fish. They also feed on reptiles, insects, amphibians, mice, worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and even small alligators. They generally capture their prey in fields and shallow waters.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Ostrich and Stork

• Both Ostrich and Stork eat Fish.
• Both Ostrich and Stork eat Frogs.
• Both Ostrich and Stork eat Lizards.
• Both Ostrich and Stork eat Snakes.
• Ostrich do not eat Turtles while Stork eat Turtles.
• Ostrich do not eat Squirrels while Stork eat Squirrels.
• Ostrich do not eat Gophers while Stork eat Gophers.
• Ostrich do not eat Baby Ducks while Stork eat Baby Ducks.
• Mice are eaten by both Ostrich and Stork.

Size of Ostrich and Stork?

When it comes to size, Ostriches are the largest birds in the world. They are seven to nine feet tall. The male birds are taller at about nine feet, while the females do not grow over six feet. The birds have a wingspan of about six feet.. Storks are huge birds. They are about two to five feet tall with wide wings that measure over 10 feet. The biggest storks in the world are the Shoebill and Marabou that stand five feet tall.

Ostriches are also the heaviest birds. Their average weight is 140-320 pounds. while Average weight of Storks is 3-17 pounds depending on the species. Marabou is the largest species and weighs around 17 pounds.

Where do Ostrich and Stork nest?

Ostriches cannot reach the top of trees or cliffs. Therefore, they make their nests by digging holes in the ground. The nests, which are generally common for a group of Ostriches, can accommodate up to 60 eggs. The dominant male bird digs out mud to make the nest. Male and female birds take turns to incubate the eggs, which hatch in 42-46 days. The young ostriches will be able to walk on the second or third day. The parents protect their young ones from heat by covering their heads with their feathers. They keep them in their guard till the young ones are about seven months old, by when they grow to a height of six feet.

Storks build their nests on trees and shrubs that stand in flooded water. They do so to keep predators away from eating the eggs. Both male and female birds participate in the construction of the nest, besides sharing the responsibility to incubate them for about five weeks, after which the eggs hatch. Baby Storks usually fledge 50-65 days after hatching. An interesting fact about parenting in Storks is that the parents sometimes throw some chicks out of the nests so that they can feed the healthy chicks well and support their survival.

How long do Ostrich and Stork live?

The average lifespan of Ostriches in the wild is 30-40 years. In unprotected places, the birds face threats from predators like lions, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and crocodiles. They also lose their lives to ruthless hunting. In captivity, Ostriches are known to survive until they are 70 years.

Storks can live for over 30 years in the wild. They have been known to live up to 35 years in captivity. The longest living species was a White Stork that lived for 39 years in Switzerland.

Are Ostrich or Stork migratory birds?

Ostrich is not a migratory bird. However, it may travel due to scarcity of food, difficulty finding nutrients, or increased threat from predators.

Storks migrate during winters to warmer regions as they cannot find food in colder weather. They are known to migrate long distances, for instance from Europe to Africa, sub-Saharan region to South Africa or India. They mostly migrate in huge groups.

Do Ostrich and Stork fly in flocks?

A flock of Ostriches is called a herd. It typically consists of 12 birds with a male leader and a female leader. The male is more dominant and tries to control the female birds in the herd. There is also a pecking order that the members of the herd must follow. Outside the herd, Ostriches congregate in groups of about a 100. They are sociable, which gives them the ability to stay safe from predators. Additionally, Ostriches also graze in the company of zebras, antelopes, and giraffes, alerting them when there is a predator.

A group of Storks is known as a muster of Storks or a phalanx of Storks. These birds are highly sociable. They stay together and migrate in massive flocks that can even encompass a thousand birds. However, during the breeding season they prefer smaller groups or solitude.

Are Ostrich or Stork protected?

There are no laws in Africa to protect the birds. However, there are organizations involved in Ostrich farming, which provides a habitat for the birds and ensures that their population does not decline.

Storks are a protected species in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Conservation laws like the African Conservation Action Plan and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement have come up in response to concerns of the International Union for Conservation of Nature that the Black Storks are not protected satisfactorily.

Are Ostrich or Stork endangered?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has categorized Ostriches as a species of least concern. However, the organization has listed the North African Ostrich as critically endangered. These birds were present in about 18 countries in North Africa. However, they exist in only four countries as in 2020. The steep decline in their population is attributed to uncontrolled hunting.

Storks are extant birds. They had become extinct in the UK about 500 years back but emerged back in the 1970s. They have however become extinct in Japan, Korea, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The Adjutant Stork is endangered in India and Cambodia, and the Painted Stork is critically endangered in parts of Asia. Very few Storks are also left in Italy due to widespread poaching.

Can Ostrich and Stork fly?

Ostriches are flightless birds. However, they are the fastest running birds in the world. With their long and powerful legs, these birds can run at a speed of 40 miles an hour. They can cover about 10 feet in a single step. The birds use their wings to maintain balance while running.

Storks fly with their neck and legs stretched out. They flap and soar with their broad wings, using thermal air currents. They can reach altitudes of 1,500 metres above sea level and touch speeds of over 110 miles per hour. During migration, they fly nearly 4,400 miles.

Can Ostrich and Stork swim?

Ostriches are not regular swimmers. They enjoy water and swim rarely. Their swimming gait is similar to walking.

Storks are not swimmers. They do not prefer deep waters and usually choose shallow waters for their habitat.

Mating patterns among Ostrich and Stork

Ostriches reach sexual maturity when they are three to five years old, the females earlier than the males. In the mating season, the color of skin on the male’s head and neck changes along with a change in the color of the beak. The males chase each other and perform elaborate dances to woo the females. The dominant male of the herd mates with three to five females. All female Ostriches of the herd lay their eggs in the nest of the dominant female. The eggs are protected and incubated by the dominant female and her partner. It generally takes 36-45 days for the eggs to hatch.

Storks start breeding when they are about four years old. The male bird is the first one to arrive at the nesting site. He initiates by building a nest or revamping an existing one and ducking on it. The male and female engage in elaborate mating dances. They raise a single brood each year, which consists of two to five eggs.

When is the mating season for Ostrich and Stork ?

The breeding season for Ostriches is April-October every year. During this time, the birds are extremely active and participate in ritualistic courtship.

The breeding season for Storks is generally the spring. This is usually from the start of February till the end of April.

Do Ostrich and Stork mate for life?

Ostriches are not monogamous. The males mate with three to five females every mating season. They however form life-long partnership with the dominant female. The females are however monogamous during the mating season and change partners every year.

Storks are known to be monogamous and faithful to their partners during every breeding season and even for a few years. They may find new partners during migrations or in consecutive breeding seasons. In case of monogamous partners, they generally revisit their nesting site and use the same nests with little restoration.

How do Ostrich and Stork sleep?

Ostriches rarely get tired and seldom sleep. During the night, they go through a slow wave sleep pattern, where their eyes are open and they are alert with the neck held upright.

Storks roost in colonies. They sleep on trees and shrubs surrounded by water. Some storks even sleep standing on one leg in water.

Can Ostrich and Stork be eaten?

Ostriches are widely eaten, especially in Africa and Germany. In fact, there are about 150 Ostrich farms in Germany. People relish Ostrich meat akin to beef. Ostrich meat is known to be rich in nutrition. There are also no laws preventing people from killing and eating Ostriches.

Storks are edible and some people do eat them. However, the bird is protected, and it is illegal to kill them for food.

Can you hunt Ostrich or Stork?

There are no legal restrictions on the hunting of Ostriches. In South Africa, Ostrich hunting is a sport offered on safaris. Hunting activities are charged on hourly basis.

Thousands of White Storks lose their lives every year due to illegal hunting for sport, especially in Lebanon and Italy. The birds are also shot for their meat. All this is despite existence of laws to protect the bird.

Can you feed Ostrich or Stork?

In farms and zoos, Ostriches are given leafy green vegetables, grass, corn, carrots, berries, seeds, and insects. In captivity, attention is given to the nutrient composition of the diet of Ostriches.

Feeding wild animals and birds in public places is not permitted in places like USA, Singapore, and Dubai. Storks are huge birds and need to be fed a lot of food. In captivity, these birds are fed with fish, frogs, small birds, earthworms, lizards, and meat.