Nature and Trees - Painted Storks With Terns
1,897 views · Published 25 February 2012 · 5:25 · Indexed 10 November 2026
Channel: Menora James · 2012 · Pets & Animals
This video is about the Painted Storks captured during my holidays .. Painted Stork =========== The Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is a large wading bird in the stork family. Their distinctive pink tertial feathers give them their name. Their found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in South Asia and extending into Southeast Asia. They are absent from very dry or desert regions, dense forests and the higher hill regions. They are mainly seen on freshwater wetlands although sometimes forage on the coast. They are resident in most regions but make seasonal movements and forage in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. Painted Storks immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. As they wade along they also stir the water with their feet to flush hiding fish. They nest colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds. The only sounds they produce are a weak moan or sounds produced by bill clattering. They are not migratory and only make short distance movements in some parts of their range in response to food and for breeding. Like other storks, they are often seen soaring on thermals. This large stork has a heavy yellow bill with a down-curved tip that gives it a resemblance to an ibis.Males and females appear alike but the males of a pair are usually larger than the female. Painted Storks feed in groups in shallow wetlands. The preferred depth is about 12 to 25 cm of water and deeper waters are avoided. They also take frogs and the occasional snake. They breed in trees along with other water birds. The platform nests are typically placed in a tree on an island or in an otherwise undisturbed area. The best nesting sites are at the tops of the trees and birds jostle for these locations. Predation of eggs is mainly by crows and while very young chicks were sometimes attacked by crows, the older chicks were attacked by Black Kites. The typical clutch varies from 2 to 5 eggs with early breeders having larger clutches.The incubation period is about a month while the fledging period is nearly two months. During the mid-day heat, adults will stand at the nest with wings outstretched to shade the chicks. To feed chicks, adults regurgitate fish that they have caught and these are typically smaller than 20 cm long.The daily requirement for chicks has been estimated to be about 500 grams made up of about 9 fish fed in two sessions.Birds in captivity have been known to live for as many as 28 years. Music - Jamendo.com By Maya Filipic
