The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Storks

[Sarus Crane]

The Ciconiidae, also known as the storks is a group of birds that are waders and are spread throughout the world except the polar regions. There are 19 species and since they happen to be my area of interest and expertise (including my favorite North American bird species) I thought I'd give a go at this thread. Please give a warm welcome the Ciconiidae!!!

 

[Sarus Crane]

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Anastomus - Open Billed Storks

• African Open Billed Stork (Anastomus lamelligerus)
• Asian Open Billed Stork (Anastomus oscitans)

Mycteria - Ibis Storks

• Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
• Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea)
• Yellow Billed Stork (Mycteria ibis)
• Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

Ciconia - Typical Storks

• Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii)
• Woolly Necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus)
• Storm's Stork (Ciconia stormi)
• Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari)
• Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana)
• White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
• Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)

Ephippiorhynchus, Jabiru & Leptoptilos - Giant Storks

• Black Necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)
• Saddle Billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
• Jabiru Stork (Jabiru mycteria)
• Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus)
• Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius)
• Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer)

 

[Sarus Crane]

Anastomus


African Open Billed Stork (Anastomus lamelligerus)
This species is restricted to Africa & Madagascar. Its bill has an open gap that helps it to feed on snails its specialty diet. It also consumes other organisms. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @vogelcommando

Asian Open Billed Stork (Anastomus oscitans)
This species is restricted to Asia, primarily in southern and Southeast Asia. Its range has been expanding into China as of recent. Its bill has an open gap that helps it to feed on snails its specialty diet. It also consumes other organisms. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Chlidonias

Mycteria

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
The only Mycteria species of the New World, this stork lives primarily in the Southeast U.S. through Central America and into the tropical regions of South America. Formerly listed as Endangered in the U.S. by USFWS it was downgraded to Vulnerable in 2014. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Mr.Weasel

Milky Stork (Mycteria cinerea)
This species is restricted mostly to Malaysia (Sumatra is its stonghold) and has been mostly extirpated on mainland Southeast Asia except for Cambodia & Vietnam. It has overall white plumage like the Wood Stork but has feathers on its neck and head like its other Old World cousins. It's overall status is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Tomek

Yellow Billed Stork (Mycteria ibis)
This species is endemic to Africa & Madagascar. It has overall white plumage with a yellow bill, but has feathers on its wings that turn a vibrant pink during the breeding season. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Mycteria cinerea photo by @vogelcommando

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)
This species is endemic to India & Southeast Asia. It has overall white plumage with a yellow bill, but has black and white mottled wing feathers with a couple pink mixed in as well. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Maguari

 

[Sarus Crane]

Ciconia


Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii)
The smallest species, this stork lives in Africa. It has black plumage but a white belly and its lores are a sky blue. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Ciconia abdimii photo by @vogelcommando

Asian Woolly-Necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus)

A relatively small species with a naked greyish face and a sharply-defined black cap, and red legs. Uncommon and fragmented population, which is classified as vulnerable.

There are two subspecies. They are C.e.neglecta of Java and Sumatra and C.e.episcopus of mainland Asia.

Photo by @Tomek

African Woolly-Necked Stork (Ciconia microscelis)

A relatively small species with a feathered black face and a poorly-defined black cap, and black legs. Uncommon and fragmented population, which is classified as least concern.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Tomek

Storm's Stork (Ciconia stormi)

This stork lives in Malaysia, mostly in Sumatra and Borneo. It appears much like the Wooly Necked Stork but has a mostly black neck with only a small amount of white. Declining throughout its range it's overall status is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Photo by @jayjds2

Maguari Stork (Ciconia maguari)
The only ciconia species to inhabit the New World, this stork lives in South America particularly the Llanos of Venezuela. It has white and black plumage like its European cousin but has a patriotic look to it with its red colored facial skin complete with a red and light blue bill. Its probable ancestor is probably the extinct Tar Pit Stork (Ciconia maltha). It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @jayjds2

Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana)
The largest of its genus at about five feet tall, this Oriental beauty survives in China and conservationists are trying to expand its range. It has white and black plumage with a black bill and reddish legs. It's overall status is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Dormitator

White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
The stork that taught you babies came from them, this well known species lives in Europe through to East Asia and down into Africa. Steeped in culture for centuries as a sign of good luck, many people enjoy and welcome them to nest on buildings in Europe. It has white and black plumage with an orange bill and legs. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

There are two subspecies. They are C.c.ciconia of Europe & Africa and C.c.asiatica of Asia which has the same appearance but is just slightly larger.

Photo by @Daniel Sörensen

Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)
The White Stork's color palette opposite. This species has black plumage that shimmers with greens and purples in the sun with an orange bill and legs. Its range is Europe to East Asia with the European population migrating to Africa during the winter. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @KevinB

 

[Sarus Crane]

Ephippiorhynchus

Black Necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)
A very tall (nearly 6 ft), elegantly built species, this stork has white and black plumage with a black neck and bill and stands on bright coral colored legs. Males have brown irises while females have yellow ones. It's overall status is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

There are two subspecies. They are E.a.asiaticus of the Oriental region and E.a.autralis of Australia and New Guinea. Both look alike in appearance with no differences.

Photo by @Nick@Amsterdam

Saddle Billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)
Another very tall (nearly 6 ft), elegantly built species, this stork has white and black plumage with a black neck and bill that is red with a black band in the middle plus a yellow saddle-like shield at the base. Males have brown irises while females have yellow ones. Its range is Africa and it's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @vogelcommando

Jabiru

Jabiru Stork (Jabiru mycteria)
The tallest flying bird in the Americas, this heavily built species with all white plumage and an inflatable black and red neck topped off with a heavy upturned bill, is a sight to behold. This is the most sexually dimorphic stork species with Males being up to 25% larger than the female. Its range is Central and South America with a few vagrants sighted in Texas. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Nick@Amsterdam

Leptoptilos

Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus)
A large black stork with a yellow neck and reddish colored face with a bone colored patch on the top of its head with a massive wedge shaped bill. Its range is India to Southeast Asia and Indonesia. This species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Chlidonias

Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius)
An enormous massive dark grey stork standing nearly 6 ft tall with white wing coverts equipped with a huge convex shaped bill. Its neck & facial skin is orange/pink complete with a long pendulous gular sac. Its very restricted range is India and Cambodia with only about 1,200 individuals remaining. This species is listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @alexkant

Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus)
Often cited as the ugliest bird in the world and called the Undertaker Bird due to its somewhat grim appearance, this iconic 4-5 ft tall African species is a helpful member of the savanna's clean up crew consuming carrion at scavenging sites as well as fish, small mammals and even sickly flamingos. Its feathers are black with neck & facial skin being pink turning a brighter reddish color in the breeding season. Like its larger Indian cousin, this species also is equipped with a gular sac. Its range is all across sub-Saharan Africa. The Marabou is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Monotypic

Photo by @Maguari

Well that's it. Hope you all are having a very Ciconiidae!!! Get it?

 

[TeaLovingDave]

There's a few points in this post where the image formatting hasn't worked properly - as you've obviously put in a fair bit of work to this thread I think it is worth keeping as our official photographic guide for this family, so I'm going to do a little cleanup of these images and a few other odds and ends to bring it up to the same format/standard as the other guides.

The main problem is that you've used too many images for the one post - but I reckon I can resolve this issue in a round-about way.

But good work overall, methinks!

Ask next time, though

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I thought woolly-necked storks had been split?

~Thylo

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I thought woolly-necked storks had been split?

~Thylo

They have, but as that would be an actual alteration of his work, I was going to ask @Sarus Crane before fixing that.

I've fixed as many problems as possible now - although for some reason one or two images/formattings are still failing to show up. Will give it another crack when I get back from work.

 

[birdsandbats]

They have, but as that would be an actual alteration of his work, I was going to ask @Sarus Crane before fixing that.

I've fixed as many problems as possible now - although for some reason one or two images/formattings are still failing to show up. Will give it another crack when I get back from work.

Nothing fails to show up for me.

 

[Sarus Crane]

They have, but as that would be an actual alteration of his work, I was going to ask @Sarus Crane before fixing that.

I've fixed as many problems as possible now - although for some reason one or two images/formattings are still failing to show up. Will give it another crack when I get back from work.

Thanks! Appreciate it! Next time I will follow @Chlidonias's advice and do genuses only per each post. As for the Woolly Necked I went with the older classification and it was too many photos for the original thread.

 

[ThylacineAlive]

Nothing fails to show up for me.

That's because he just went back and fixed it

~Thylo

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Thanks! Appreciate it! Next time I will follow @Chlidonias's advice and do genuses only per each post. As for the Woolly Necked I went with the older classification and it was too many photos for the original thread.

Even the amount you had was too many which is why I had to split the posts.

A few additional points before I change the post in question:

Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii)
The smallest species, this stork lives in Africa. It has black plumage but a white belly and its lores are a sky blue. It's overall status is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Woolly Necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus)
The smallest species, this stork lives in Africa. It has black plumage but a white belly and its lores are a sky blue. It's overall status is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

There are two subspecies. They are C.e.microcelis of Africa and C.e.episcopus of Asia.

You used the text from Abdim's Stork within the entry for Woolly-necked Stork - I'll fix this with appropriate information whilst also changing it to specify the Asian species, and adding an entry for the African species. Interestingly the Asian species *does* comprise two subspecies, as you omitted one of the three Woolly-Necked sensu lato subspecies, C. e. neglecta.

For comparison, incidentally, the Asian and African species:

 

[Sarus Crane]

Even the amount you had was too many which is why I had to split the posts.

A few additional points before I change the post in question:





You used the text from Abdim's Stork within the entry for Woolly-necked Stork - I'll fix this with appropriate information whilst also changing it to specify the Asian species, and adding an entry for the African species. Interestingly the Asian species *does* comprise two subspecies, as you omitted one of the three Woolly-Necked sensu lato subspecies, C. e. neglecta.

For comparison, incidentally, the Asian and African species:

Sorry about that. It was late and I was really tired.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Sorry about that. It was late and I was really tired.

Not a problem as I said before, you've done a really good job overall.

 

[Sarus Crane]

Is it just me or are these above average sized Painted Storks? I'm guessing the lady on the red bridge is only five feet tall. This video looks like it was from a chest mounted GoPro. Nevertheless they look big especially that huge male in the center, nearly Marabou sized in terms of height! This is at Penang Bird Park in Malaysia. Anyone ever been there? From YouTube:

 

[vogelcommando]

Great tread Sarus Crane ! Esp. because its a family of special intrest to me. I've seen all but one species alive ( the only one missing being the Greater adjutant - at least I can't remember ever seen one ) and took care for 16 of them ( next to the Greater adjutant I didn't take care for the Black-necked stork and the Wood stork ) From the last 2 species I've seen however the Black-necked stork in captivity and the Wood stork in the wild ( Mexico ) :


Wood stork - Mexico

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I have seen 17 out of the 20 extant stork species, with only the Asian Openbill, African Woolly-Necked Stork, and Greater Adjutant missing. Of those 17, four were lifers for me in 2018 (Milky, Maguari, Black-Necked, and Jabiru) and I have seen one wild (Wood).

~Thylo

 

[birdsandbats]

My list is much smaller.

I have seen 6 of the 20 stork species. 5 of those (Abdim's, Marabou, Saddle-Billed, Lesser Adjutant, and White) captive, and one (Wood) wild.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I have seen 17/20, missing only the Blacknecked, Jabiru and Greater Adjutant. All 17 have been seen in captivity, and I have also seen White and Black Stork in the wild.

 

[Hyak_II]

Mmm, I've seen my fair share of storks as well, but I've gotten a ways to go to complete the species list. I'm up to 12 at the moment, still lacking both adjutants, woolly necked, oriental and asian open billed. Black and jabiru are missing as well, and pretty big gut punches too, since I have visited facilities that were housing them at the time I visited, but they were both off display. Oh well, just another reason to go back to Texas, lol.