43) PAINTED STORK (Mycteria leucocephala)

Painted Stork Madai 280216

43) Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) #stork

In my list of birds seen and photographed the Painted Stork is at 43rd position.

It is a large wading bird in the stork family. It is found in the wetlands  in the Indian Subcontinent. I have seen it in most of the birding places that I have visited.

Painted Stork Nalsarovar 080511

The head of the adult is bare and orange or reddish in colour. The long tertials are tipped in bright pink and at rest, they extend over the back and rump. There is a distinctive black breast band with white scaly markings. The band continues into the underwing coverts and the white tips of the black coverts give it the appearance of white stripes running across the underwing lining.

Painted Stork Nalsarovar 080511

It  is found singly, in small parties and sometimes in large flocks.

Juvenile Painted Stork Nalsarovar 080511

It forages in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes.

Juvenile Painted Stork Nalsarovar 080511

Juvenile Painted Stork Nalsarovar 080511

Painted Stork Thol 060311

It is said that the largest secure population is found in India.

Painted Stork Thol 060311

Painted Stork Thol 060311

The bird feeds by sweeping their half-open bill from side to side inside the water as the wade.

Painted Stork Madai 280216

Painted Stork Vanvihar 060316

Painted Stork Vanvihar 060316

It  settles hunched up outside water when not feeding. It nests in trees in a colony, often along with other waterbirds.

It  roosts on trees if available.

Painted Stork Vanvihar 060316

It regularly soars high on thermals. It makes only short distance movements in some parts of their range in response to changes in weather or food availability or for breeding and is not migratory.

Painted Stork Nalsarovar 080511

Reference:

1) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp

2) Birds of South Asia, The Ripley guide by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C Anderton

3) The Book of Indian Birds by Salim Ali

4) A Pictorial Field Guide to Birds of India by Bikram Grewal, Sumit Sen, Sarwandeep Singh, Nikhil Devasar and Garima Bhatia

5) The Wikipedia

Painted Stork Thol 060311