Painted Stork

ANIMAL:
Painted Stork               Mycteria leucocephala

Type of Animal:
Stork

Habitat:
Floodplains, wetlands, marshes, ponds

Location(s):
Found in much of India & Sri Lanka plus a few smaller pockets in S.E. Asia along w/ easternmost China

Appearance:
White w/ black side/under feathers & pink back feathers plus reddish area around eye & yellow bill. Rather tall bird. Male larger than female. Younger birds often brownish w/ more downy plumage & woolly neck.

Food/Diet:
Fish, eels, frogs, snails, crustaceans, snakes, lizards, young turtles, crocodilian hatchlings, hatchlings of large lizards, insects, shellfish such as gastropods & bivalves

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding from zoos, wildlife parks, & breeding centers

Lifestyle:
Usually found in large flocks, sometimes up to 200 birds. These birds form large colonies in breeding season.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male-Cock
Female-Hen
Young-Chick
Group-Flock/Colony

Weight:
Male-7 lbs
Female-6.6 lbs

Gestation: 
30-35 days

Height:
Male-3 ft
Female-2.7 ft

Body Length:
4.11-5.3 ft

Life Span: 
20-25 years, up to 28 years in captivity

Main predators of adults are pythons, monitor lizards, wolves, dholes, crocodilians, tigers, leopards, feral dogs, jungle cats, & hyenas. Chicks preyed on by feral cats, jackals, macaques, mongooses, & raptors. Crows prey on newborn chicks.

Male storks gather most of the sticks to build the nest.

Develops full adult plumage at 3 years old.

They often nest in colonies w/ other stork species, pelicans, ibises, & herons.

Young storks fed partly regurgitated food by parents (favorite food-fish).

More nocturnal in areas of human disturbance but can be found during the day too.

They walk slowly along water when searching for prey.

Fun Fact(s):
While young storks call loudly, they’re practically voiceless by 18 months.

Often breed in same tree year after year.

Colonies have been formed near villages.