stork any of a number of species of bird in the family Ciconiidae, which is represented in most parts of the world: in Europe by C. ciconia, the white stork, and C. nigra, the black stork. The long legs of storks are famous, as are their nesting habits.
Storks are protected species, at least in those parts of Europe where they nest (NW France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium). They were, however, sometimes eaten in medieval times, although they do not appear regularly on the menus for banquets, as do the crane, heron, peacock, and swan.
