Asian Openbill Storks
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The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.
Distribution / Range
It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia.
Description
The Asian Openbill Stork is a broad-winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight.
Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched.
It is relatively small for a stork at 68cm length.
Breeding adults are all white except for the black wing flight feathers, red legs and dull yellow-grey bill. The mandibles do not meet except at the tip, and this gives rise to the species' name.
Non-breeding adults have the white of the plumage replaced by off-white.
Young birds have brown tinge to the plumage.
Breeding / Nesting
They breed near inland wetlands and build stick nest in trees, typically laying 2-6 eggs.
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Diet / Feeding
The Asian Openbill Stork, like most of its relatives, walks slowly and steadily on the ground, feeding on molluscs, frogs and large insects.
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