Great bird (L 110 cm), similar to Storks and Herons. Uniformly slate-grey. Breeding occurs in taiga and decidious forest zones, although during last years, the species has adapted to cultivated landscapes. Wintering areas include cereal crops and dehesas in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula, placing its roosting sites at the water's edge of ponds, lagoons and reservoirs. The food is mainly vegetable material, but also insects, molluscs and earthworn. Migrant.
Reasons for the need for protection/inclusion in annex
Threats in nesting areas include human disturbance causing lowered breeding success. Collisions with powerlines and shooting are common causes of mortality. In wintering sites, the species is threatened by habitat degradation, principally through the reduction of dehesas, as well as by persecution due to damages caused to crops.
yellow = summer visitor
green = resident
blue = winter visitor
15,000 / 22,000 pairs
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