Pandiyan
Prodigy of Ugliness
Greater Adjutant Stork
Leptoptilos dubius
Prodigy of Ugliness. This bird was so described by a writer long time ago. For a huge bird with a bald head and weird neckpouch which frequents refuse dumps and burial grounds, competes with vultures and kites for scavenging, this comes as no surprise. It is basically a carnivore and eats everything.
Unconfirmed reports talk about this stork eating shoes, domestic fowl, rottong corpses plus its usual aquatic prey. It is a powerful flier being able soar pretty high and ride the thermals. it covers a huge range.
Now all this has not helped. It is declining rapidly and is considered ENDANGERED. Less than 1000 estimated, it wont be long before it reaches an unviable level. Usual culprits like habitat loss due to unsparing development, heavy use of chemicals, rising pollution levels and perhaps direct human persecution.
This big bird has a stiff military walk. I waited for quite a while to get a proper shot of his military gait but was totally unsuccessful. The nest he is building is huge - more than three feet across, and he will line it up with leaves and make it real comfy.
Of course, this bird is not reported in the wild where I stay. In India you find it only in the northeast. This bird is captive.
Prodigy of Ugliness
Greater Adjutant Stork
Leptoptilos dubius
Prodigy of Ugliness. This bird was so described by a writer long time ago. For a huge bird with a bald head and weird neckpouch which frequents refuse dumps and burial grounds, competes with vultures and kites for scavenging, this comes as no surprise. It is basically a carnivore and eats everything.
Unconfirmed reports talk about this stork eating shoes, domestic fowl, rottong corpses plus its usual aquatic prey. It is a powerful flier being able soar pretty high and ride the thermals. it covers a huge range.
Now all this has not helped. It is declining rapidly and is considered ENDANGERED. Less than 1000 estimated, it wont be long before it reaches an unviable level. Usual culprits like habitat loss due to unsparing development, heavy use of chemicals, rising pollution levels and perhaps direct human persecution.
This big bird has a stiff military walk. I waited for quite a while to get a proper shot of his military gait but was totally unsuccessful. The nest he is building is huge - more than three feet across, and he will line it up with leaves and make it real comfy.
Of course, this bird is not reported in the wild where I stay. In India you find it only in the northeast. This bird is captive.