Painted Storks

• One of the largest flocks of Painted Storks, almost 4000 birds, has been spotted in Andhra Pradesh.

About Painted Storks

• Scientific name- Mycteria leucocephala
• They belong to Ciconiidae family.
• These birds are widely distributed over plains of Asia.
• These are usually seen in freshwater wetlands and occasionally in coastal regions.
• The painted stork is a large bird, measuring 90 to 100 cm in length and weighing 2,000 to 3,500 grams.
• They have a wingspan of about 150 to 160 cm.
• They have a long heavy yellow beak with a down curved tip.
• Bare head is reddish or orange in colour.
• Found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• IUCN Status: ‘Near Threatened’.
• Its breeding season extends from July to October in North India and November to March in South India.