- Mycteria leucocephala
Identification
95-100cm tall; It is mainly white with black flight feathers, a red head, and a yellow, long, downcurved bill. Tail and legs are pink, dark barring on the breast. Juveniles are similar to adults, but duller.
Distribution
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, eastern China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Taxonomy
The Painted Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae.
Habitat
Lowland wetlands with trees, freshwater marshes, ponds, and flooded fields.
Behaviour
The large stick nest is built in a forest tree, and 2-5 eggs is a typical clutch.
The diet includes fish, frogs and large insects. It sweeps its head from side to side with its bill half open in water as it hunts for fish. It will eat frogs as well.
They live together in large colonies near water. They often share their habitat with other species of storks, as well as herons, ibises, cormorants, and spoonbills.
At mating time, the male storks perform many ritualistic displays in order to attract a mate. Nests are made with sticks and lined with leaves and placed close to the water's edge. The males do most of the stick gathering, while the females build the nests with the sticks brought back by their mates. 3-5 eggs are laid, incubation by both parents lasts for 27 to 32 days.
