Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans)

One of two stork species in the genus "Anastomus: which have a peculiar gap between the mandibles. The other is the African Openbill which is all black. The oddly shaped bill facilitates foraging on Apple Snails in the genus "Pila." The snail is held in the upper mandible and the lower mandible punctures the hard operculum while a salivary secretion from the stork relaxes the snails tough muscle. The snail is usually removed from its shell without damaging the shell at all. These snails are immune to almost all other forms of predation, so these storks are an important population check on the snails. This grayish individual is an immature. Adults are whiter.