Greater Adjutant

To capture the Greater Adjutant on a trail camera, you need to account for their massive height. Place your camera 3 to 5 feet off the ground, but tilt it slightly upward; a standard chest-high placement for mammals might only capture this bird's legs. If you are monitoring a nesting site, choose a wide-angle lens setting, as these birds have an immense wingspan that can easily blur if they are too close to the sensor.

While we don't recommend baiting with carrion in residential areas, placing cameras near the edges of drying wetlands or near large, isolated nesting trees (like Kadams or Silk Cottons) is highly effective. These birds are creatures of habit and will often return to the same roosting or sunning spots daily.

Because they are most active during the heat of the day when they soar, set your camera's trigger interval to be very short. They often land with a heavy, lumbering motion that can be captured beautifully in high-speed video modes. Ensure your shutter speed is high (at least 1/1000s if your camera allows) to freeze the motion of their large wings during takeoff or landing.

In terms of seasonal timing, focus your efforts during the dry season (winter and spring in India). As water levels recede in wetlands, these birds congregate in high densities to forage for trapped fish, providing the perfect opportunity for multi-subject captures. Always use a high-capacity SD card, as their social interactions can trigger hundreds of photos in a single afternoon.