Foraging habitat use of the Oriental white stork during its breeding season

From March to June in 2008 and 2009, the forage habitat use of Oriental white stork during its breeding season was studied in the Yellow River Estuary nature reserve by the methods of fixed-spot observation, GPS positioning, sampling plot investigation and stepwise discriminant analysis, by the methods of fixed-spot observation, GPS positioning, sampling plot investigation and stepwise discriminant analysis. With a forage site as the center, a 1m x 1m square quadrat was Set up, and another four square samples were installed of 5-10 miles around the first square quadrat. The Oriental white stork preferred water depth of about 20cm, the reed marsh and the beach, while they avoided grassland and farmland. Comparing the used sites with the random plots, the used sites were characterized by lower vegetation height and density, lower water depth, shorter distance to water source, the reed marsh and forests, farther to the serious disturbance, and more abundance of food.