The stork is the bird famously associated with delivering babies in folklore.
The story is especially linked to the white stork, a large migratory bird widespread across Europe. German folklore said storks found babies in caves, marshes, or “stork stones,” then carried them to families in baskets or dropped them down chimneys. In some traditions, families left sweets on windowsills to signal that they wanted a child.
The legend became internationally popular through Hans Christian Andersen’s 1839 fairy tale “The Storks.” Slavic traditions also connected storks with unborn souls returning to Earth in spring, helping reinforce their association with birth, renewal, and good fortune.
A common mix-up is confusing folklore with biology: storks do not deliver babies, of course. The phrase “stork bite,” used for a common birthmark on a newborn’s neck, is another reminder of how deeply the bird became connected with childbirth. The folklore has also inspired baby announcements, nursery decorations, and advertising.