# Yellow-billed Stork (*Mycteria ibis*) The Yellow-billed Stork is a beautiful bird with a long yellow bill and white feathers. They love to wade in shallow waters, looking for fish and frogs to eat. Watching them is like seeing a graceful dancer in nature! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Yellow-billed Stork](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yellow-billed_Stork_%28Mycteria_ibis%29_%286045310265%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yellow-billed_Stork_%28Mycteria_ibis%29_%286045310265%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Yellow-billed Stork is a large wading bird with striking white plumage and a bare, bright yellow face and bill. Its long, red-orange legs stand out against the white body, which also features black primary and secondary flight feathers visible in flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Ciconiiformes - **Family:** Ciconiidae - **Genus:** Mycteria ## Interesting facts - Baby storks are born with soft white down and a short, dull-colored bill! - Their bright yellow bill and face become even more vibrant during breeding season! - They often stand still in water, shuffling their feet to stir up hidden prey! - Yellow-billed Storks nest in colonies, sometimes with hundreds of other pairs! ## Special abilities - **Snap Strike:** Yellow-billed Stork can rapidly snap its bill shut underwater to catch fish because of sensitive touch receptors in its bill. - **Thermo-Glide:** Yellow-billed Stork can soar effortlessly on rising warm air currents (thermals) because of its broad wings, saving energy during travel. - **Wading Sensor:** Yellow-billed Stork has a specialized bill that can detect prey by touch in murky water, helping them hunt. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 90-105 cm - **Wingspan:** 150-165 cm - **Weight:** 1.9-2.3 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 28-31 days ## Diet & Feeding They mostly eat fish and aquatic creatures, hunting by touch in shallow water. - **Age differences:** Young storks are fed regurgitated food by parents; they learn to forage as they grow. - **Primary Foods:** Fish, Frogs, Crabs, Insects, Worms - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Nile Tilapia (*Oreochromis niloticus*) — Actively hunts and consumes this common freshwater fish. - **Eaten by:** Nile Crocodile (*Crocodylus niloticus*) — Vulnerable to predation by large crocodiles, especially at water's edge. - **Shelter:** Gum Arabic Tree (*Acacia nilotica*) — Often builds nests in the branches of large trees in colonies. - **Depends on:** Common Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Relies on healthy wetland vegetation for foraging habitat. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance so they feel safe and happy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Yellow-billed Stork? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Yellow-billed Stork? 90-105 cm ### What is Yellow-billed Stork's wingspan? 150-165 cm ### How much does Yellow-billed Stork weigh? 1.9-2.3 kg ### How long does Yellow-billed Stork live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Yellow-billed Stork move? 50 km/h ### What does Yellow-billed Stork eat? They mostly eat fish and aquatic creatures, hunting by touch in shallow water. ### Where is Yellow-billed Stork usually found? Wetlands ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Yellow-billed Stork: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-billed-stork)