Mycteria ibis
The Yellow-billed Stork is a medium sized (up to 2kg), gregarious species that is usually seen in pairs or small flocks of up to 50 birds. They frequent shallow wetlands, estuaries and the banks of rivers and lakes, where they feed mainly on frogs, fish and aquatic invertebrates by moving their opened bills through the water, feeling for prey. They also roost and breed communally, in groups of up to 50 pairs, often together with other kinds of waterbirds. Breeding takes place when food is easiest to come by, usually when fish are concentrated in shrinking pools during the dry season. Nests are stick-platforms built in trees, often over water, in which 2 to 4 eggs are incubated by both parents for around 30 days.
According to the IUCN, the Yellow-billed Stork is of least conservation concern, although their population is apparently slowly decreasing . They’re a common sight over most of Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, and in South Africa they can be encountered in all provinces except the Northern and Western Cape.
DeWetsWild 
Good photo! 😍
Thank you kindly!
Mr. Stork is really magnificent. Great photos, Dries. 🙂
Thanks very much, Sylvia!
Had a ramble through your various bird posts, Dries and admire the collection of photos and knowledge. So enjoy the ‘fit for purpose’ aspects of build and beaks – shapes and dimensions. Wonderful resource you have here with all the information.
Thanks very much, Liz! I’m glad to know you enjoyed this series so, as I really had a great time putting it all together, learning about our diverse birdlife as I went along.
The collage of photos really gives a feel for this beautiful bird
We’re glad we could introduce you!
😊✌🏼️
I love how they sit on their ankles! They look so much like pelicans! T.
They certainly both have a liking for fish!
Beautiful photographs… a pleasure to see and enjoy.Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Vicky, and welcome here!
They look so small…..and then they stand up! Such a surprise.
They’re a lot smaller than some of our other storks, so your first impression isn’t much off the mark, Lois!
sometimes I think that a class of crazy arists (!) were turned loose in the scientific lab for creating new species! that yellow bill is so different from the rest of the bird, and it makes me smile!
That’s so true, Lisa! Some birds have a real flair for fashion, I suppose…