African Openbill
Anastomus lamelligerus
The African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus) is a uncommon stork found in 35 countries, weighing about 1.1 kg. The African openbill is a species of stork from the family Ciconiidae.
About the African Openbill
The African openbill is a species of stork from the family Ciconiidae. It is widely distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa and western regions of Madagascar. This species is considered common to locally abundant across its range, although it has a patchy distribution. Some experts consider there to be two sub-species, A. l. lamelligerus distributed on the continent and A. l. madagascariensis living on the island of Madagascar. Scientists distinguish between the two sub-species due to the more pronounced longitudinal ridges on the bills of adult A. l. madagascariensis. The Asian openbill found in Asia is the African openbill's closest relative. The two species share the same notably large bill of…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The African openbill is a stork measuring 80–94 cm (31–37 in) and weighing 1–1.3 kg (2.2–2.9 lb). The species does not exhibit any major sexual dimorphism, although the males are slightly larger than the females and have a longer and heavier bill. The adult bill is between 135–196 mm (5.3–7.7 in) in length, brownish in color and has a gap between the upper and lower mandible. This gap is non-existent in juvenile birds and develops as the bird ages. It is because the two mandibles of the beak only meet at the tip and not in the middle that this stork genus received the name of "openbill". Voice: Many of the social displays of the African openbill stork are accompanied by bill clatters as is common in most of the Ciconiidae species. This bird also croaks and honks loudly.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon.
When to see it
The African Openbill can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an African Openbill?
- The African openbill is a stork measuring 80–94 cm (31–37 in) and weighing 1–1.3 kg (2.2–2.9 lb). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an African Openbill?
- The African Openbill is a large sized bird weighing about 1.1 kg.
- Where can you see an African Openbill?
- The African Openbill occurs in 35 countries, including South Africa, Uganda, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.
- What birds look similar to an African Openbill?
- The African Openbill is most easily confused with the Asian Openbill.
- Is the African Openbill endangered?
- The African Openbill is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the African Openbill for real
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