STORKS and babies are forever linked in fairytales. But black-necked storks Jabby and James are breaking with tradition.

The pair, who live in Port Douglas’ Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, are the world’s only pair of storks breeding in captivity, wildlife curator Terry Carmichael said.

The pair have been popping out eggs – and little storks – since 2001.

But this year, while the lovebirds are "definitely going through the motions" and Jabby has laid 10 eggs, the eggs are infertile.

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Jabby and James, who still have offspring living nearby, may simply be taking a baby-breather.

"But we think because they’ve got their one-year-old son with them it’s affecting their fertility or their keenness to breed,’’ Mr Carmichael said.

"It’s not the end of the world. We’re not going to a stork fertility clinic.

"We’re happy to let nature take its course."

The black-necked stork, also known as the jabiru, is Australia’s only stork species.

They live across eastern coastal Australia and also in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and Laos.

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