Zoo database

European white stork

Ciconia ciconia

Natural diet European white stork

White storks are carnivorous birds that consume various small animals that can be found on land or in shallow water. Their diet includes for example: fish, rodents, crustaceans, insects, chicks and eggs.

Fish
Fish
Insects
Insects
Vertebrates
Vertebrates

Feeding advice European white stork

Feed quantity per day

10%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 3.5 kg and eats 10% of its body weight, it will get
 
3.5 x 0.1 = 0.35 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

49% Meat and whole prey
50% Fish products
1% Supplements

Proportions (fresh product)

0.49 x 0.35 kg = 172 g meat and whole prey
0.5 x 0.35 kg = 175 g fish products
0.01 x 0.35 kg = 4 g supplements

Diet Suggestions

Recommended

Variety of fish
Variety of whole prey
Supplements

In moderation

Variety of insects

Not recommended

Bread

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

  • Metabolic bone disease

Additional advice

  • Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
  • Supplement the diet with ad libitum soluble grit as a source of calcium (read more about grit).
  • When feeding thawed whole fish, then supplementation is recommended.
  • The supplements should be given according to the appropriate dosage that is mentioned on the labelling.
  • Avoid feeding bread as the high starch content may cause gastro-intestinal disturbances.
  • Stimulate foraging behaviour by using feeding puzzles and scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).