Black storks may seem pretty intimidating to other birds with those large beaks, and quite rightly so. These two storks had gotten themselves into a squabble and made full use of their weapons to jump down one another’s throats…
Claudia Apfelthaler (55), captured this duel on film and tells Latestsightings.com: “We were cruising towards Paul Kruger Gate very near to the end of the day. We decided to stop over a small river on the S114, at the Biyamiti loop, to take in the surroundings. I was admiring a hippo with terrapins on its back and a few hyenas that were just lazing around in the water. It was just so hot.”
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The Black Stork population in South Africa has been showing a slow decline over the years. The population in South Africa is fairly sparse as they prefer remote areas and have particular feeding habits. BirdLife South Africa has research projects in place to gain a better understanding of the Black Stork population in South Africa!
Stork’s Beak Gets Stuck in the Other’s Throat
“I’m always on the lookout for birds so when I saw a black stork, I immediately zoned in on him. I was taken aback when another one landed next to him and the two started fighting. I’m not at all sure what the whole fight was actually about. However, it must have been something intense because the birds were literally using their beaks to pin each other down through throats.”
“I was surprised at the attack but soon realized there was probably a whole territorial thing going on between these birds. I guess I learned a lot as I always assumed they were just peaceful. Luckily both birds survived and went on about their separate ways.”
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“Always be on the lookout and have your camera ready at all times, if you are into getting wildlife footage. Sometimes the most surprising scenes take place very quickly”.
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