PAINTED STORK - ENVIRONMENT
News: Close
to 4,000 painted storks nesting in two A.P. villages
What's in the news?
● One
of the largest flocks of painted storks (Mycteria leucocephala), approximately
4,000 birds, have made tall trees in Veepapuram and Venkatapuram villages of
Andhra Pradesh their breeding ground, and are currently looking after 6,000
chicks.
Key takeaways:
● They
mostly inhabit wetlands in the
plains and breed closer to undisturbed/protected trees.
Painted Stork:
● The
Painted Stork is a large wading bird
in the stork family. Their distinctive pink tertial (flight) feathers of the
wing are pink and give them their name.
Habitat:
● The
painted storks are usually seen in the freshwater wetlands and occasionally in
the coastal regions.
● They
are found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand and
Vietnam.
Features:
● These
storks feed in groups, wading in shallow
waters and avoiding deeper waters.
● They
feed on small fish, frogs and reptiles.
● The
breeding season extends from July to October in north India and November to
March in south India.
Threats:
● Though
the population in India is considered secure, the painted stork are near
threatened in other countries due to poaching.
Conservation Status:
● IUCN
Red List - Near Threatened.