Bird Guide

Saddle-billed Stork

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Near ThreatenedFishWetlandPlatform nestHuge · 6.2 kg

About the Saddle-billed Stork

The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya south to South Africa and in the Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Chad in west Africa. It is considered endangered in South Africa.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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The saddle-billed stork is a huge bird that regularly attains a height of 145 to 150 cm (4 ft 9 in to 4 ft 11 in), a length of 142 cm (4 ft 8 in), and a 2.4 to 2.7 m (7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in) wingspan. While heights published have been in the aforementioned narrow range, reportedly adult saddle-billed storks in captivity can attain a height of up to 150 to 180 cm (4 ft 11 in to 5 ft 11 in). The male is larger and heavier than the female, with a range of 5.1–7.52 kg (11.2–16.6 lb), with a mean mass of 6.38 kg (14.1 lb). The female is usually between 5 and 6.84 kg (11.0 and 15.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where the Saddle-billed Stork lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Somalia, Spain.

When to see the Saddle-billed Stork

Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

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