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PLATE 11: STORKS AND CRANES
Black Stork Ciconia nigra wv
L: 95. W: 150. Glossy-black stork with white lower underparts. Told by all-black upperparts (no
white on lower back and rump, as in Abdim’s Stork) and small white axillary patch on black
underwing. Adult has red bill and legs, whereas browner, less glossy juvenile has greyish-green
bill and legs. Habitat Lakesides, marshes, riversides and fields on migration. Note Passage hatched;
occasional in winter in S Arabia including S Oman; vagrant Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE.Abdim’s Stork Ciconia abdimii wv
L: 80. W: 140. Very similar to Black Stork but smaller with white on lower back and rump noticeable
in flight, when also shows more extensive white on underwing-coverts, less protruding greenish
legs and shorter neck. At rest often shows white extension above bend of wing; bill, which is
shorter than Black Stork, greyish-green, tipped reddish. Note crimson surround to eye, a small
white forehead spot and bluish bare cheeks. Juvenile browner, lacking the greenish-purple gloss
of adult; bill dirty flesh and bare skin of cheeks whitish-blue. Often in flocks; circles or glides at
height. Habitat Dry plains and foothills; nests singly or colonially in trees, on rooftops or pylons.
Note Throughout year in hatched areas, but regular in Oman in winter only.White Stork Ciconia ciconia WV, PM
L: 100. W: 170. Easily told by large size, white plumage with black flight feathers, straight red
bill and long red legs. In flight, the neck is extended and legs protrude beyond the tail. Juvenile
has duller white plumage and duller red bill and legs. From adult Yellow-billed Stork by straight
red bill and all-white tail (black in Yellow-billed). Voice Clatters bill at nest; otherwise silent.
Habitat Wetlands, plains and farmland; nests on buildings and trees. Note Passage hatched; many
overwinter in S Oman.Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis E/I
L: 100. W: 160. Easily told in adult plumage by slightly drooping, orange-yellow bill, bare red face
and long, orange-red legs. Plumage resembles White Stork but tail black (visible in flight) and
mantle and tips of wing-coverts tinged pink. In subadult plumage sandy-buff with some pinkish
on underwing-coverts, much duller bill and legs and greyish to pale orange facial skin. In first
winter shows greyish wash, brownish underwing-coverts, yellowish-grey bill and greyish-brown
legs. Habitat Wetlands. Note Vagrant Israel, Jordan, Turkey, from Africa; escaped birds in The
Gulf, Oman.Demoiselle Crane Grus virgo pm, wv
L: 95. W: 175. Smaller with shorter neck and bill than Common Crane, but size deceptive without
comparison. Pale grey with largely black head and neck with elongated breast feathers hanging
down in a narrow black fringe. Juvenile grey on head and neck with short whitish band behind eye.
Immature gradually acquires adult plumage, general coloration browner with duller black parts.
Voice Call higher-pitched than Common Crane. Habitat Open plains near water, arable land,
wetlands. Note Passage hatched; rare Oman; vagrant Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE.Common Crane Grus grus pm, wv
L: 115. W: 233. Large and majestic. Grey plumage with contrasting black flight feathers, black
head and upper neck, and white stripe from eye down side of neck. Looks ‘bushy’ at rear end on
ground. Juvenile has brownish head without contrasting head pattern. Adult told from Demoiselle
by size and absence of black breast. Gregarious on migration. Neck extended in flight, as in other
cranes; powerful wingbeats interspersed with long glides, often soars; flies in ‘V’ formation.
Voice Often detected by far-carrying, trumpeting krrllaa, krrllaa. Habitat Wetlands, fields and
steppe. Note Passage and winter hatched, but sporadic/local in winter; vagrant Bahrain, Kuwait,
Qatar, UAE.