Asian Openbill-Stork
A small white or greyish white stork, with black in the wings. the peculiar
reddish black bill with arching mandibles leaving a narrow gap between them
is a diagnostic. sexes alike. The name is derived from the distinctive
gap formed between the recurved lower and arched upper mandible of the beak
in adult birds.
Local Names :
Gungla, Ghonghila (Hindi)
Naththai kuththi narai (Tamil)
Cherakokkan (Malayalam)
Scientific Name :
Anastomus oscitans
Asian Openbills inhabit wetland habitats including shallow marshes, flooded
agricultural fields, and lakes. From a distance they could be confused with
herons, but they can be clearly distinguished from herons by their feeding
habits—wading slowly through shallow water. Soars frequently, often in large
dense flocks; note extended neck, unlike retracted neck of herons and
egrets.
The Asian openbill feeds mainly on large molluscs, especially Pila species,
and they separate the shell from the body of the snail using the tip of the
beak. The tip of the lower mandible of the beak is often twisted to the
right. This tip is inserted into the opening of the snail and the body is
extracted with the bill still under water. They also feed on water snakes,
frogs and large insects.
Nesting colonies are sometimes in highly disturbed areas such as inside
villages and on trees located in crop fields. Nest is a circular platform of
twigs with central depression lined with leaves. eggs are 2 to 4 , white
close textured.
References
The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)
Wikipedia
Pictures:
Kayamkulam, Kerala (2019)
..............................................................................
The picture was taken in a village in Kerala while visiting a
relative. it was interesting to see them waiting near the fish ponds between the fields. In this area these birds are
commonly seen in borders of all the larger tanks and freshwater lakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment