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The painted stork (Mycteria
leucocephala) is a large wading bird in the stork family.
It is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia
south of the Himalayas in the Indian
Subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers give them their name. They forage
in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up
their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. As they wade along they also
stir the water with their feet to flush hiding fish. They nest colonially in
trees, often along with other waterbirds. The only sounds they produce are weak
moans or bill clattering at the nest. They are not migratory and only make short distance movements in
some parts of their range in response to changes in weather or food
availability or for breeding. Like other storks, they are often seen soaring on
thermals.
This large stork has a heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip that gives it a resemblance to anibis. 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. The rest of the body is whitish in adults and the primaries and secondaries are black with a greenish gloss. The legs are yellowish to red but often appear white due their habit of urohidrosis or defecating on their legs especially when at rest. The short tail is black with a green gloss.[2] For a stork, it is medium-sized, standing about 93–102 cm (37–40 in) tall, 150–160 cm (59–63 in) in wingspan and weighing 2-3.5 kg (4.4-7.7 lbs). Males and females appear alike but the males of a pair are usually larger than the female.
This large stork has a heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip that gives it a resemblance to anibis. 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. The rest of the body is whitish in adults and the primaries and secondaries are black with a greenish gloss. The legs are yellowish to red but often appear white due their habit of urohidrosis or defecating on their legs especially when at rest. The short tail is black with a green gloss.[2] For a stork, it is medium-sized, standing about 93–102 cm (37–40 in) tall, 150–160 cm (59–63 in) in wingspan and weighing 2-3.5 kg (4.4-7.7 lbs). Males and females appear alike but the males of a pair are usually larger than the female.
The downy young are
mainly whitish with grey bills and blackish facial skin. The juveniles assume a
brownish plumage and like most other storks reach breeding condition after two
to three years.
Like all storks, they fly
with their neck outstretched. They often make use of the late morning thermals
to soar in search of foraging areas.
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