Birds Active during the day

Black-necked Stork

Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

With its towering height, striking red legs, and iridescent plumage, the Black-necked Stork is one of the most majestic sentinels of the tropical wetlands. Often called the 'Jabiru' in Australia, this formidable hunter is a master of the shallow marshes.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

straighten

Size

Height 129–150 cm (51–59 in); Wingspan 230 cm (91 in); Weight 4 kg (8.8 lbs)

palette

Colors

White body with iridescent black (reflecting green/purple) on the neck, head, wing bands, and tail. Massive black bill and bright red legs. Females have bright yellow eyes, while males have dark brown to black eyes.

visibility

Key Features

Massive black wedge-shaped bill
Iridescent green-black neck and head
Long, bright red legs
Striking white and black wing pattern
Female has yellow eyes, male has dark eyes

When You’ll See Them

schedule

Activity pattern Active during the day

brightness_5

Peak hours 7-10 AM, 3-6 PM

calendar_month

Season Year-round

restaurant

Diet A generalist carnivore focusing on aquatic prey. It eats fish, amphibians (frogs and toads), reptiles (small snakes and turtles), crustaceans (crabs), and large insects. It uses a 'strike and grab' method in shallow water.

park

Habitat Freshwater wetlands, marshes, lakes, flooded grasslands, and agricultural fields like rice and wheat.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Black-necked Stork Live?

Native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Oceania, the Black-necked Stork occupies a broad but fragmented range. In Asia, its core populations are found across the Indian subcontinent—including India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal—and extend through parts of Southeast Asia like Myanmar and Cambodia. A distinct and significant population thrives across the northern and eastern coastal regions of Australia, where it is often the only stork species encountered by locals.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

9 Countries

8.5M km² Range

Near Threatened Conservation

IN India AU Australia Sri Lanka Nepal Myanmar TH Thailand Cambodia ID Indonesia Vietnam

eco

iNaturalist / Verified observation data

View on iNaturalist open_in_new

Explore more Birds arrow_forward

Behavior

The Black-necked Stork is a solitary and highly territorial bird, often seen patrolling its wetland domain with a slow, deliberate gait. Unlike many other stork species that are social and colonial, these birds are fiercely protective of their feeding and nesting areas, often driving away competitors or even their own grown offspring. They are silent, patient hunters, using their sharp vision to detect movement in the water before striking with lightning speed.

In courtship, they perform elaborate displays involving wing-spreading and bill-clattering, though they are generally quiet birds. While they are wary of human presence, they have successfully adapted to living near agricultural landscapes like rice paddies in parts of Asia. They are monogamous and build massive stick nests high in trees, which they may reuse for several seasons, adding new material each year.

photo_camera EverydayEarth exclusive

Camera Tips

Capturing the Black-necked Stork on camera requires patience and strategic placement, as they are cautious birds with excellent eyesight. For the best results, place your camera near the edge of a shallow wetland or a persistent puddle in an agricultural field. Set the camera on a tripod or a low stake about 2 to 3 feet off the ground, angled slightly upward to capture their impressive height and massive bill without cutting off their long red legs.

Avoid using traditional food baits, as these birds prefer live, moving prey; instead, focus on 'bottleneck' locations where water levels are dropping, as these areas naturally concentrate fish and frogs, making them irresistible to the stork. Because they are most active during the cooler morning and late afternoon hours, ensure your camera's trigger speed is set to its fastest setting to catch the sudden, rapid strike movement when they hunt.

Since these birds are territorial, once you find a spot they frequent, they are likely to return daily. Use a high-resolution setting or 4K video if available, as the iridescent plumage on their neck is a highlight that only shows up well in clear, bright light. Ensure your camera is well-camouflaged with local vegetation or a drab housing, as any shiny or metallic surfaces may spook this wary giant.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Black-necked Stork.

White-necked Heron

Smaller with a much thinner, grey bill and lacks the iridescent black neck and red legs.

Lesser Adjutant

Lacks the clean white and black patterning, often appearing scruffier with a bald-looking head and neck.

Saddle-billed Stork

Found in Africa; similar in size but features a colorful red, yellow, and black bill.

Browse all Birds arrow_forward

Frequently Asked Questions

Black-necked Storks are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day. They are most frequently observed hunting in the early morning shortly after sunrise and again in the late afternoon before dusk when temperatures are cooler and prey is more active.

Attracting these giants is difficult unless your property contains or borders a large, permanent wetland or flooded field. Maintaining healthy, chemical-free water bodies that support fish and frog populations is the best way to encourage a resident stork to visit.

These storks are opportunistic carnivores. Their diet primarily consists of large fish, frogs, crabs, and aquatic insects, but they are also known to take snakes, lizards, and even small water birds or turtles.

They are generally shy of urban density, but they are frequently seen in peri-urban areas where suburbs meet wetlands or rice paddies. In Australia, they are sometimes found near coastal towns with suitable estuary habitats.

The Black-necked Stork is significantly larger with a massive black bill and red legs, whereas the White-necked Heron has a much thinner bill and a white head and neck. Also, look at the eyes—only the female Black-necked Stork has distinct yellow irises.

Record Black-necked Stork at your habitat

Connect a camera to start building your own species record — AI identifies every visitor automatically.

Join free Identify a photo