The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) builds one of the largest nests in the bird world. These huge nests are often used as nesting places by other birds or even small rodents. These kind of organisms that can create new habitats, are known as ecosystem engineers. Recent finding shows that the nest-building behavior of the white stork has another impact for its environment:
The white stork can affect plant population and community dynamics and structure in an agricultural landscape. It is a vector transporting large numbers of seeds along with nest material, and it is an ecosystem engineer which builds nests that function as specific habitats for plants.
Source:
Joanna, C. & Ignacy, K. (2013). The White Stork as an Engineering Species and Seed Dispersal Vector when Nesting in Poland. Annales Botanici Fennici, 50(1-2): 1-12.
I photographed these white storks at Hortobágy National Park, in Hungary in 2007.
Gear: Canon EOS 30D, Canon 100-300mm F/5.6 L lens.
