This is a large bird, nearly 1 m tall with a 1.8 m wingspan, weighing around 3 kilograms. It is all black except for the white belly and axillaries, and its red bill and legs. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. The Black Stork, feeds mainly on fish and also amphibians and insects. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork.

Breeding habit: It breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broad lived woodlands, but also inhabits hills and mountains with sufficient network of creeks. It builds a stick nest high in trees.

Conservation status: Threatened species, 2006 IUCN Red List.