Saddle-billed Stork

The Saddle-billed Stork is one of Africa's tallest and most visually striking birds, with glossy black-and-white plumage and an enormous, boldly patterned bill of black, red, and yellow. The yellow frontal shield at the base of the bill, which resembles a saddle, gives the species its name.

The sexes can be distinguished at close range: males have dark brown eyes and small yellow wattles hanging near the base of the bill, while females have bright yellow eyes and lack wattles. Both sexes have black legs with distinctive pink 'knee' joints.

Key field marks

• Very tall stork with glossy black head, neck, and wing band on an otherwise white body
• Massive bill patterned in black, red, and yellow with a yellow frontal shield
• Black legs with pink joints
• Males have dark eyes and small wattles; females have yellow eyes and no wattles

Similar species

The Black-necked Stork of Asia and Australia is similar in shape and pattern but has a plain black bill without the colorful saddle marking. The Marabou Stork is bulkier with a bald pink head and dull grey bill rather than a feathered head and colorful bill.

Saddle-billed Storks are found across sub-Saharan Africa in a variety of wetland habitats, including large rivers, floodplains, swamps, and lake margins, generally favoring areas with clear, shallow water and low human disturbance.

The species is largely resident and territorial, with breeding pairs defending large wetland territories year-round. It occurs at relatively low densities throughout its range and is considered a good indicator of healthy, undisturbed wetland ecosystems.

This stork forages by walking slowly and deliberately through shallow water, striking with its long bill to catch fish, frogs, and other prey, sometimes stirring up prey with its feet first. Pairs typically forage and remain within a defended territory throughout the year rather than gathering in flocks.

Saddle-billed Storks are largely silent, using bill-clattering for communication at the nest. They build very large stick nests high in trees, often reused over multiple seasons, and typically lay 1-3 eggs. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties, and pairs often mate for life, maintaining strong pair bonds within their territory.