The 5 nos of visitors are still around Permatang Pauh, Penang mainland. Glad that for 2 consecutive years they are visiting us. My shots were taken in Prek Toal bird santuary TonLe Sap lake near Siem Reap. The latest count 2009 there are about 1050 pairs of breeding birds there. Photo here their favourite food is the freshwater mollusc shellfish which are pest in our padi fields. Besides that they go after fresh water fishes during the planting season.
The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia. They are broad-winged soaring birds, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is relatively small for a stork at 68 cm length. They breed near inland wetlands and build stick nest in trees, typically laying 2-6 eggs.
Breeding adults are all white except for the black wing flight feathers, red legs and dull yellow-grey bill. The mandibles do not meet except at the tip, and this gives rise to the species' name. Non-breeding adults have the white of the plumage replaced by off-white. Young birds have brown tinge to the plumage.
The Asian Openbill Stork, like most of its relatives, walks slowly and steadily on the ground, feeding on fish, molluscs, frogs and large insects.
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