Black-necked Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Ciconiiforme Order – Ciconiidae Family
BIOMETRICS:
Size: 130-140 cm hight
Wingspan: 230 cm
Weight: 4 kg
LONGEVITY: Up to 34 years
DESCRIPTION:
Black-necked Stork is a huge, large wading bird, the only stork in Australia. It is also named “Jabiru”.
PROTECTION / THREATS / STATUS:
Black-necked Stork is in critical position in South and Southeast Asia. It is threatened by habitat loss, with clearing and draining of wetlands, for agriculture and human developments.
Pollution and salinisation cause degradation of wet areas. Collisions with power lines kill or injure several birds each year.
In order to protect the habitat of Black-necked Storks, it is necessary to manage wetlands and surrounding areas, to fence these wetlands, allowing natural vegetative state, and to protect the vegetation within 200 metres of wetlands.
Black-necked Stork is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
However, this species is abundant in Australia where it has wide range.
Fr: Jabiru d’Asie
All : Riesenstorch
Esp : Jabirú Asiático
Ital : Becco a sella asiatico
Nd : Zwartnekooievaar
Russe : Индийский Ябиру
Photographs by Patrick Ingremeau
His website: TAMANDUA
Text by Nicole Bouglouan
Sources :
HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF THE WORLD vol 1 by Josep del Hoyo-Andrew Elliot-Jordi Sargatal - Lynx Edicions - ISBN: 8487334105
Welcome to the Australian Museum
Wikipedia (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)
BirdLife International (BirdLife International)
Birds in backyards (Birds Australia and Australian Museum)
Adult male has black and white plumage. Body is white with glossy black panels above and below white wings. It has short black tail.
Head and neck are black, with green and purple gloss.
Long, massive, strong bill is black. Eyes are brown. Legs and feet are red.
Female is similar to male, but she has yellow eyes.
VOICE:
Black-necked Stork utters guttural grunts. We can also hear some dry noises when it clacks and snaps the bill.
HABITAT:
Black-necked Stork lives in wetlands, floodplains of rivers, large shallow marshes, pools, and also in deep permanent bodies of water.
We can see sometimes solitary bird straying in open grasslands or wooded areas while it is searching for food.
RANGE:
Black-necked Stork lives mainly in coastal areas and near-coastal regions of northern and eastern Australia.
It is resident in southern Asia and Australasia, from eastern India to New Guinea and northern half of Australia.
BEHAVIOUR:
Black-necked Stork feeds on aquatic preys, caught by jabbing, and taking it with its long bill. It strides along the shore in shallow water, and may leap into the air for catching a prey.
It is often seen alone, in pairs or in small family groups. This species is not very social. Pairs can be aggressive, defending their territories where the nest-site is.
Black-necked Stork pairs have long-term pair-bonds, maybe for life. They are secretive birds, nesting in isolated pairs.
Courtship displays seem to be simple, with some bowing and clapping of bills.
FLIGHT:
Black-necked Stork is very beautiful, even it flies straight with extended neck and legs. It often uses thermals for reaching great heights.
REPRODUCTION:
Black-necked Stork breeds in late summer in northern parts of its range and in early summer further south. This species breeds in wetlands, in tropical lowlands.
Nest is situated in live or dead tree in swamp or near freshwater area. It is a large platform, up to 2 metres in diameter. It is made with sticks and other vegetation. It is lined with reeds, up to 20 cm of thickness. It may be built at about 25 metres above the ground, but sometimes near the water edge, at lower elevation.
Female lays 2 to 4 white, conical eggs. Incubation is shared by both parents.
Chicks are cared by both adults, but parents stop to feed them at about 3 to 4 months of age. However, young remain in natal territory during 14 to 18 months, sometimes more, up to 28 months.
Black-necked Storks use the same nest year after year. They reinforce it each time they breed.
DIET:
Black-necked Stork feeds mainly on fish, small crustaceans and amphibians. It hunts by walking along water edged in shallow water. This bird is freshwater forager, eating primarily aquatic animals. But it also consumes reptiles, large insects, turtles, rodents and carrion.
