Stork: Yellow-billed stork
Mycteria ibis
Bird
IUCN Status
Whilst this species is under threat of poaching it is not affecting the over-all population size. Therefore, the species is classed as ‘least concern” by the IUCN Red list. It is listed under the African-Eurasian Water-bird Agreement (AEWA), which calls u
Diet
Frogs, small fish, aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans, small mammals and birds
Habitat
Moving across Africa the yellow-billed stork prefers wetlands with a water depth of between 10 and 40 centimetres with trees and sandbanks close by.
Behaviour
When trying to catch prey they will wait very patiently with their bills submerged under water and when a prey item touches them they flip their heads back and swallow.
Breeding
During the breeding season their colours become more vivid; the yellow of their bill, the redness of their face and legs and their feathers turn a lot pinker!
Fun Facts
They rarely make a sound, unless it is the breeding season at which point they may hiss or clap their bill.
At The Zoo
We have a young pair of these storks which the female should be just old enough to breed this year for the first time (6 in 2016). They share a mixed exhibit with demoiselle cranes and ibis (40 on the zoo trail).