Status Of Painted Stork In Nepal

The famous Badhaiyatal of Bardia district has an area of about 1479.93 ropani, and the depth of this lake is 3 to 7 feet. Apart from various species of local birds and migratory birds, the Painted Stork is also one of the most visible birds in this lake. Due to the colour combination of the body of this bird, it looks more beautiful when sitting than during a flight. Flight makes it look even more beautiful. Also, since these birds live around the lake, they also breed in this area. The Painted Stork is a large bird of the stork family. They appear in wetlands, lakes, canals, ponds, etc. on tropical plains.

The first record of this species of bird in Nepal was in the 19th century. This bird was described by Fleming et al. (1976) as a rare summer visitor; only a few pairs were reported in winter by Inskipp & Inskipp (1976).

During research on this bird in Nepal, it was collected in Billori, Kanchanpur district, in March 1965 in the south-west of Nepal, and this species was seen in winter in Kailali district. Similarly, they were recorded in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, while five were seen in Beldandi in April and May 2003 in the reserve. During the research, this bird was also found in different parts of Nepal. In Nepali, this bird is called Laltauke Garud, and its scientific name is Mycteria leucocephala.

Currently, birds of this species have started to appear in various wetlands, ponds, and canals in Nepal in any season. This bird is found in Nepal, India, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, and Malaysia.

Painted stork is an important indicator of the health of wetland habitat, which is itself highly vulnerable to environmental toxins, especially organochlorine pesticides that travel rapidly through aquatic food chains. So the study of piscivorous birds, such as the Painted Stork, is of particular importance. Nesting colonies located in extensive rural areas, including marshes, village reservoirs, and urban settings, are equally vulnerable today. Their natural nest sites may be becoming scarce due to habitat loss. Colonial waterfowl seek out suitable habitats in parks and gardens. Therefore, the behavioural trend of this species reflects the changes in its environment.

Features

The Painted Stork's long, heavy yellow bill and yellow face, white colour, and pink on the tip of the small tail feathers make this bird look very beautiful. It looks like someone carefully applied the paint with their brush. A long, thin, and sharp beak distinguishes it from other birds. Non-breeding plumage is generally less vibrant than breeding plumage. Its young are pale brown in colour, with no pectoral band. The Painted Stork is 93 to 102 cm tall and weighs 2 to 5 kg. 

Painted Storks are the only storks within the genus Mycteria with a black pectoral band. Below it is a heavy yellow beak with a curved tip. So it is similar to the Ibis bird. Adults are bald and orange or red in color. The long tertials are tipped with a bright pink colour, and the rest of them extend over the back and rump. The rest of the body of an adult Painted Stork is white. Their feet are pale to red but often appear white because of their urohidrosis, or the habit of defecating on their feet, especially when resting. Although its tail is small, it looks beautiful in black with a green sheen.

Habitat and breeding

Like all Storks, it flies by spreading its bill. They are voiceless and produce bill-clattering sounds in their beaks. Like all species of birds, they perceive their environment through visual, auditory, tactile, and chemical stimuli.

Painted Storks eat fish, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles. They use a mode called tactile foraging to capture their prey. Tactile foraging involves the bird holding its open beak under water and waiting for prey to move along the bill before closing. Painted storks search for fish in shallow water. With their bill half open and their heads rocking back and forth, they will sometimes use their fins to direct fish towards their open bill. 

Nesting colonies of Painted Storks are so large that they can have more than 70 to 100 nests. Painted storks use outdoor straw to make their nests. They do not use the straw of the tree on which they live to make nests. Instead, they collect straw from other branches. Painted storks are monogamous and form pairs, breeding in trees either in mixed colonies with other waterfowl or by themselves. Breeding seasons begin in the winter months. The female lays 1 to 5 eggs and incubates them for a month. Chicks are born naked and with closed eyes. They are usually over 20 cm long. The reproductive period is about two months, and their reproductive maturity is usually reached at the age of four.

Threats

According to senior ornithologist and conservationist Dr. Hem Sagar Baral, the Painted Stork is an endangered bird species in Nepal that was more common in the past than it is now. Currently, it is mostly seen in far west Nepal, although it has been spotted in Chitwan and Koshi. Loss of wetlands and hunting have been major threats to these birds. Painted storks are critically endangered by habitat loss and degradation, poaching, and trapping disturbances. As its population is declining around the world, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified this species as near-threatening.

(The author is a wildlife photographer. The photos used in this article are by the author.)