Painted Stork - Mycteria leucocephala

You can see these birds in plenty in the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. The Painted Stork, Mycteria leucocephala, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.

It breeds in countries like India, Sri Lanka, eastern China, Kampuchea, and Vietnam. It is a resident breeder in lowland wetlands with trees. The large stick nest is built in a forest tree, and 2-5 eggs is a typical clutch. These birds nest colonially. They often share their habitat with other species of storks, as well as herons, ibises, cormorants, and spoonbills. They make their large nests in the trees close to the water's edge. The nests are made with sticks and lined with leaves. The males do most of the stick gathering, while the females build the nests with the sticks brought back by their mates. Incubation lasts for 27 to 32 days. Both parents incubate their eggs, and both care for their young. Once the hatch lings break free of their shells, they are fed regurgitated fish by their parents until they are able to catch their own food. The baby storks are sheltered from the sun by their parents' partially opened wings. When the storks are young, they are able to make a loud raucous call to attract the attention of their parents, but by the time they are 18 months old they are practically voiceless, just like the adult storks. Adult storks communicate mainly by clattering their large bills or hissing, or by visual "displays" such as bowing to each other or spreading their large wings. The young storks are brownish in color when they hatch, and don't grow in their full adult feathers, or plumage, until they are 3 years old. They are fully mature at 4 years old. The lifespan of these beautiful birds is around 20-28 years.

The adult is a large bird, 95-100cm tall, mainly white with black flight feathers. The head is red, and the long downcurved bill is yellow. The tail and legs are pink, and there is dark barring on the breast. Juvenile birds are a duller version of the adult, generally browner and lacking the bright colours of the adult.

The Painted Stork walks slowly and steadily in shallow waters or adjacent wet grassland seeking its prey, which, like that of most of its relatives, includes fish, frogs and large insects. The favorite food of the Painted Stork is fish, though sometimes they will eat frogs as well. The stork sticks its head into shallow water, with its bill partially open, and swings its head back and forth in search of fish. Sometimes it will use a wing to direct fish towards its bill. When it senses it has touched a fish or frog with its bill, it snaps it shut, capturing its prey. They will also eat snails.