About Painted Stork (Click-Readmore)
 PAINTED STORK
Scientific name: Mycteria Ieucocephala
Mass: 3.2 kg (Adult)
Length: 93-100 cm (Adult)
Lifespan: 28 years
Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population decreasing)
Geographic Range / Habitat
Painted stork is found in the wetlands of the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in the Indian Subcontinent and extending into Southeast Asia. Painted storks are predominately non-migratory and most make only local movements. They are often restricted to shallow freshwater wetlands and marshes.
Physical Description
This species of stork stands 93 to 102 cm tall and weighs between 2 to 5 kg. This species has a long, heavy yellow bill and a yellow face. They display white plumage with a rose colour near the tail feathers. Body length in this species is used as an indicator of males and females.
Lifespan/Longevity
Painted storks can live up to 28 years in captivity.
Diet
Painted storks have been known to feed on fish, insects, crustaceans, amphibians and reptiles.
Behaviour
Painted storks are colonial nesters and can often be found in large flocks of up to two hundred individuals. Flock sizes tend not to alter seasonally in this species. Painted storks forage in groups ranging from 1 to 18 individuals at a time. They are generally non-migratory and thus most stay in the same area. These birds often nest with other water birds such as herons and egrets. They are also often seen soaring in thermals with other stork-like birds.
Breeding
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. In some areas where they have been left undisturbed they nest very close to human habitations.
The breeding season begins in the winter months shortly after the monsoons. In northern India, the breeding season begins in mid-August while in southern India the nest initiation begins around October and continues till February and or even until April. A typical clutch varies from 2 to 5 eggs with early breeders having larger clutches. The incubation period is about a month. | 
Education & Conservation