Age estimation of black stork (Ciconia nigra) nestlings from wing, bill, head, and tarsus lengths at the time of ringing

Authors: MACIEJ KAMINSKI, BARTOSZ JANIC, LIDIA MARSZAL, JERZY BANBURA, PIOTR ZIELINSKI

Abstract: Black stork nestlings were measured (wing, bill, head, and tarsus lengths) at weekly intervals in central Poland in 2012, 2014, and 2015. The aim of the study was to provide growth equations based on nestling measurements to allow age estimation of black stork nestlings. The hatching hour and date of nestlings in five nests were determined using trail cameras. The age of the measured nestlings ranged from 18 to 53 days. Wing, bill, and head lengths showed linear growth, while tarsus growth was only linear for nestlings not exceeding 35 days old. Within the age range studied, wing length grew 9.6 mm per day, head length grew 2.3 mm per day, and bill length grew 1.8 mm per day. The study provides the first growth parameters for the black stork.

Keywords: Breeding ecology, growth formulas, ringing, biometrics, storks, trail cameras

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