Description:

A medium-sized glossy black stork with white belly and vent; and slightly curved bill. Adult mainly glossy black, with white lower breast and belly, and red bill and legs; in flight, white underparts and axillaries contrast strongly with black neck and underwing. Juvenile has brown head, neck and upperparts, bill and legs greyish-green.

Distribution:

Common passage migrant through major waterways and lakes all across Gilgit-Baltistan. Usually prefers inland freshwaters including lakes, marshes and rivers, with nearby damp grasslands or cultivations. Up to 4000m during migration.

Behavior:

Usually forages in shallow water; stalks prey, catching it with a sharp stab of bill; reported to shade water with wings. Mostly fish, such as loaches, pike and other species that are available in the area; also amphibians, insects, snails, crabs and small reptiles, mammals and birds.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Black Stork in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Black Stork

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.