Scientific name: Mycteria leucocephala
Order: Ciconiiformes

A large wading bird which breeds in Asia; from India & Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia. The Painted Stork is a broad winged soaring bird. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched (see the photo of the 2 Milky Storks in flight). 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.

Young birds are a duller version of the adult (see the photo of the juvenile painted stork), generally browner and lacking the bright colors of the adult.

The Painted Stork walks slowly and steadily on the ground in open plains seeking its prey, which like that of most of its relatives, consists of fish, frogs and large insects.

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