Within this framework they show a considerable range of diversity and the feeding habits of Flamingos are considerable different from those of Adjutant Storks. Some species are still totally dependant on water, spoonbills, wood storks, openbill storks and the larger bitterns are good examples of this. Many however have shown the adaptive efficiency of their basic design and have moved partially away from the water. The extreme examples of this are Abdim's Stork and Bald and Hadada Ibises all of which are more terrestrial than aquatic. Most of the species in the Ciconiiformes are communal breeders, the notable exceptions being the Bitterns, the Black Stork, Hadada Ibis and Spotbreasted Ibis.
Many species have seasonal changes in the colour of their legs and bill during the mating season.
The pair bond is important in most species and regularly repeated, ritualised, behavioural activities during courtship are common. All the actions displayed are adapted behaviours, adapted from non-reproductive interpersonal displays, which have become ritualised for the courtship display. The Ciconiiformes contains a large number of very attractive, relatively large birds. They are important not only ecologically but as symbols of a healthy planet. It is a crying shame then to learn that over 20 percent of the Ciconiiformes are in danger and nearly all have suffered great reductions in numbers over the last century, some species have wild populations of less than 100 and several have not been seen for a number of years.