Yellow-billed Stork

1. Bird Name
English name: Yellow-billed Stork
Scientific (Latin) name: Mycteria ibis

2. Appearance
The Yellow-billed Stork are large wading birds with a hunched posture and a long and thin yellow beak which has a small upward curve. It has a uniquely bald, dark, reddish brown-tinged head, and a white plumage that covers the rest of its body. Adult birds have black tail feathers that provide a striking contrast. The eyes are a deep, liquid amber and the long legs are a muted pink color. There is minimal sexual dimorphism; both genders have a similar appearance but females are slightly smaller than males.

3. Size
The Yellow-billed Stork typically ranges between 90-105 cm (35-41 inches) in height. Their wingspan can be anywhere in the neighborhood of 150-165 cm (59-65 inches). They typically weigh between 2 and 2.3 kg (4.4 to 5 lbs).

4. Habitat & Distribution
The Yellow-billed Stork can primarily be found across Sub-Saharan Africa, but its range does extend to the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. This bird is a wetland dweller, with its existence heavily centred around swamps, shorelines of lakes and rivers, lagoons, and rice paddies.

5. Interesting Facts
Yellow-billed Stork are unique in their feeding habits, which include a form of tactile ‘bill-grappling’ where the bird will half-open its bill in water and snap it shut when it detects a prey. They are also known to perform a “wing-drying” pose, spreading their wings wide and standing motionless, possibly to detoxify harmful bacteria. In African culture, the Yellow-billed Stork is seen as a symbol of the carefree, due to their slow movements and nonchalant behaviours.

6. Diet
Yellow-billed Storks are carnivorous and feed primarily on fish. Other dietary items include aquatic insects, amphibians, shrimp, crabs and occasionally small birds and rodents.

7. Behavior & Sounds
These storks are fairly quiet birds. They rarely vocalize but when they do, they produce low grunts. They exhibit unique nesting behavior, often opting for trees growing in water for utmost protection against predators. Their mating displays involve bill-clatterings and mutual preening.

8. Conservation Status
According to the IUCN Red List, the Yellow-billed Stork falls under the category of ‘Least Concern’. Its population trend is considered stable and there’s no present sign of a major threat or decline.

9. Lifespan
In the wild, the Yellow-billed Stork has an average lifespan of up to 30 years, while storks in captivity can live up to 35 years due to regulated diets and lesser threats.

10. Additional Notes
In Swahili, a common language in East Africa, the Yellow-billed Stork is locally known as ‘Nyuni Maji’. They play a significant role in maintaining balance in wetland ecosystems, regulating populations of fishes and other small aquatic organisms. Human interaction is also fairly peaceful, as they are mostly indifferent to human presence unless they are disturbed. While they adapt well to some human-altered habitats like rice fields, habitat loss due to agricultural expansion and water pollution is a concern in some areas of their range.