Saddle-billed Stork

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

The Saddle-billed Stork is a large, colorful bird with a long beak and striking black and white feathers. It loves to wade in shallow waters, looking for fish and frogs to eat.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Saddle-billed Stork is a very tall bird with a striking black and white body and bright red legs. Its most distinctive feature is a large, two-toned bill that is red with a black band and a prominent yellow 'saddle' on top.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAvesOrderCiconiiformesFamilyCiconiidaeGenusEphippiorhynchus

Saddle-billed Stork

Interesting facts

It's one of the tallest flying birds in Africa, often standing taller than a small person!

These impressive storks are mostly silent, communicating with bill-clattering, not songs!

They often build enormous stick nests, sometimes six feet wide, high in a tree!

Wow! The Saddle-billed Stork's eyes have a bright yellow iris with a vivid red patch!

Special abilities

The Saddle-billed Stork can stand perfectly still for ages because of its long legs that help it ambush fish in shallow water.

The Saddle-billed Stork has a powerful, sharply pointed bill that helps it snatch slippery fish, frogs, and even small reptiles.

The Saddle-billed Stork has dazzling colors on its bill and legs that help it communicate and stand out during mating.

Measurements & details

Length: 145-150 cm
Wingspan: 240-270 cm
Weight: 5-7.5 kg
Lifespan: 15-30 years
Top Speed: 45 km/h
Clutch Size: 1-3
Incubation: 30-35 days

Diet & Feeding

This stork eats fish, frogs, and other small aquatic animals it catches with its pointy bill.

Primary Foods

fish
frogs
crabs
snakes
large insects

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

hunts

Nile Tilapia

Oreochromis niloticus

A common fish prey in its African wetland habitats.

hunts

African Clawed Frog

Xenopus laevis

Eats amphibians found in its watery hunting grounds.

eaten by

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

Predates on eggs and young storks, especially near water.

depends on

Egyptian Acacia

Vachellia nilotica

Often uses tall trees for building large, secure nests.

Traits

Feathered

Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers.

Social

Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.

Colorful

Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.

Piscivorous

Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.