The black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) belongs to the family Ciconiidae. The black-necked stork is distributed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. There are two subspecies of these birds. The subspecies E. a. asiaticus occurs in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The subspecies E. a. australis occurs in New Guinea, and Australia.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had categorized and evaluated these bird species and had listed them as 'Near Threatened'.
They are large birds, measuring 110 to 140 cm in length and weighing 4,000 grams. The male and female birds look alike. Their wingspan is 190 to 220 cm. Their height is between 120 to 150 cm.
They have patterned white and blackish plumage. The blackish plumage is glossed blue, greenish and purple. The flight feathers have white margin. They have a heavy long dark grey bill. The legs are red in color.
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| Indian birds - Black-necked stork - Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus |
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| Lip Kee | License: CC BY-SA 2.0 as on 8/21/18 |
These storks inhabit marshes, wetlands, lakes, flooded grasslands, swamps, rivers and water meadows. They feed on fish, frogs and snakes. They breed during August to January in India.
They build platform nests on large isolated trees. The usual clutch varies from one to five eggs. The parents feed regurgitated food to the chicks.
| Biological classification of Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Ciconiiformes |
| Family: | Ciconiidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Ephippiorhynchus |
| Species: | E. asiaticus |
| Binomial name: | Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus |
| Distribution: | Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australia |
| Feeding habits: | fish, molluscs, crustaceans, |
| IUCN status listing: |  Near Threatened |
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_necked_stork_(Jabiru)_-_Fogg_Dam_-_Northern_Territory_-_Australia.jpg
Author: GDW.45 | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Black-necked stork - Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus.