- Mycteria cinerea
Identification
95–100 cm (37-39¼ in)
Adult Non-breeding:
- Similar to Painted Stork, but completely white, apart from primaries, secondaries and upper-tail.
- Dark-red to maroon head skin
- Pinkish-yellow bill
- Pinkish-red legs
Adult Breeding:
- Where plumage white in non-breeding, replaces with subtle creamy-buff
Juvenile:
- Like juvenile Painted Stork, but more speckled wings, and lacking breast band
Distribution
South-east Asia: found in Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia and the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Sumbawa, Greater Sundas, Sulawesi and Buton, Indonesia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1], which was previously placed in the genus Ibis.
Habitat
Tidal Mudflats and Mangroves.
Behaviour
Diet
They stand still or wade in shallow water, moving the bill from side to side. Occasionally the bird stirs up water or mud from the bottom with it's feet, in order to flush fish, occasionally flashing their wings above the surface to add to the effect. Feeds on large aquatic insects and small fish; prey items recorded as large mudskippers, small fish, snakes and frogs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Sept 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Milky Stork. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Milky_Stork
