Rare black stork spotted over eastern Jersey
- 5 minutes ago
- 1 min read
A rare black stork has been seen flying over eastern Jersey, providing a notable sighting for local birdwatchers.
The species, known scientifically as Ciconia nigra, is an uncommon visitor to Britain and has been recorded in Jersey just four times.
According to the British Trust for Ornithology, black storks breed primarily in eastern Europe and Spain before migrating to southern Africa for the winter months.
The birds typically forage in grassland and wetlands, although they can also be found in agricultural fields. Their diet is varied, including insects, fish, reptiles and small mammals.
Jersey Birds reported that the latest stork was spotted at Grouville Marsh and later over Grouville Hill on Monday. There have been no further sightings since.
The appearance is particularly noteworthy because it follows another black stork sighting in Jersey 16 years ago.
In 2010, a young male black stork was found injured in Mourier Valley with a broken wing. It was treated by a local vet but was considered too weak to be released back into the wild.
The bird was subsequently taken to Edinburgh Zoo for rehabilitation.
Colin Oulton of Edinburgh Zoo said at the time that the injured bird was the first black stork to have been recorded in Jersey for 20 years.