This study examined the behavioral richness of 12 captive Oriental Storks (Ciconia boyciana) housed in male-only, female-only, and mixed-sex enclosures. From 8,659 behavioral observations, 18 distinct behaviors were identified, demonstrating that storks express a wide range of natural behaviors even under captive conditions. Principal component analysis extracted six meaningful behavioral components, and only energy-regulation behavior showed variation among social-group compositions, while most other behaviors remained similar across groups. These results indicate that behavioral differences related to sex-based housing are relatively minor. The findings provide foundational data for improving husbandry practices, particularly in designing captive environments that support behavioral richness, welfare enhancement, and effective management of breeding and restoration programs for the Oriental Stork.

• 문성채(한국교원대학교 황새생태연구원) | Sungchae Moon (Eco-institute for Oriental Stork, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju 28173, Republic of Korea)
• 최진 (국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | Jin Choi (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang 36531, Republic of Korea)
• 윤종민(국립생태원 멸종위기종복원센터) | Jongmin Yoon (Research Center for Endangered Species, National Institute of Ecology, Yeongyang 36531, Republic of Korea) Corresponding author