Diet of the White Stork in Greece in relation to habitat

Prey taken by breeding White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) were studied using pellets collected from 1993 to 1995 within its breeding area in Greece. Prey consisted of orthopterans, coleopterans, other insects, mollusks and vertebrates. The difference in the proportions of these taxa was significant among major foraging habitats (lakes, rivers, deltas and dry habitats). With the exception of the rivers, major habitats tended to group together in clusters, suggesting that similar prey types were available to the storks in common habitat types. Received 20 June 2001, accepted 1 October 2001.