Black-necked Stork

The Black-necked Stork is a large, elegant wading bird with a glossy black head, neck, and back that shimmer with green and purple iridescence in good light, contrasting sharply with white body plumage and wings. It has a long, straight, heavy black bill and long red legs.

The species occurs from India and Southeast Asia through to Australia and New Guinea, where in Australia it is often colloquially (though incorrectly, in strict taxonomic terms) called the 'Jabiru,' a name properly belonging to a distinct South American species.

Key field marks

• Glossy black head, neck, and back with white body and wings
• Long, straight, black bill
• Long red legs
• Females have yellow eyes; males have dark brown eyes (similar sexual dimorphism to the related Saddle-billed Stork)

Similar species

The Saddle-billed Stork of Africa is similar in shape but has a colorful black, red, and yellow bill rather than a plain black one, and the two species do not overlap in range. The Woolly-necked Stork is smaller with a white neck and a dark cap rather than a fully black neck.

Black-necked Storks inhabit freshwater wetlands, floodplains, marshes, and rice paddies across South Asia, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and northern and eastern Australia. They favor shallow, undisturbed wetlands with clear water.

The species is largely resident and typically found singly or in pairs rather than large flocks, defending territories around productive wetlands. It is classified as Near Threatened due to ongoing wetland drainage and degradation across much of its Asian range, though Australian populations remain comparatively secure.

This stork hunts by walking slowly through shallow water and striking rapidly at fish, crustaceans, and amphibians with its long bill; it sometimes uses its feet to disturb prey from cover. Pairs are usually seen together and defend a territory throughout the year.

Like most storks, it is largely silent, relying on bill-clattering for communication at the nest. Black-necked Storks build large stick nests high in trees near wetlands, typically raising 2-4 chicks, with both parents sharing incubation and feeding duties. Pairs are thought to form long-term bonds and often reuse the same nest site across years.