20 September β 24 March
the coastal calendar, shifted 14 days later for this region
Old forest with streams running through it; feeds alone on shaded water, never in the open like its white cousin.
The opposite bird to the white stork in every way that matters: it nests deep in undisturbed forest, avoids people entirely, and abandons a nest that has been approached during incubation. Which is why it is scarce where the white stork is common, and why logging dates matter more to it than anything on this calendar.
photos, sightings and recordings, off this site
where this species is on the list
| Phase | When | Length | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| arriving | 25 March β 31 March | 7 days | Returning from the wintering grounds; the first birds are ahead of the peak. |
| building | 1 April β 14 April | 14 days | Nest, burrow or den under construction, or being lined out. |
| on eggs | 15 April β 14 May | 30 days | Clutch laid and being incubated, or buried and left to the sun. |
| raising young | 15 May β 9 July | 56 days | Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed. |
| young have left | 10 July β 24 August | 46 days | Young out of the nest or den, but still fed and followed by the adults. |
| leaving | 25 August β 19 September | 26 days | Leaving for the wintering grounds; stragglers run weeks behind. |
| away for the winter | 20 September β 24 March | 186 days | Not here at all. The birds are on the wintering grounds, thousands of kilometres south. |