The black stork (Ciconia nigra) is a large wading bird – a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a huge bird, nearly 1 m tall with a 1.8 m wingspan. It is black with a purplish green sheen and a white belly and axillaries (feathers under the wing - the "armpit" or "wingpit" of a bird), and its red bill and legs. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broadlived woodlands, but inhabits also hills and mountains with sufficient network of creeks. It builds a stick nest high in trees.
