Lesser Adjutant

Leptoptilos javanicus (Horsfield, 1821)

Lesser Adjutant, Leptoptilos javanicus, is a stork of the Oriental Region, breeding from Nepal and India through south-east Asia to the Greater Sundas. It is tied to wetlands, especially large rivers and lakes in wooded country, freshwater marshes in farmed areas, and coastal wetlands such as mudflats and mangroves. A key feature is its bare head and neck, with no hanging pouch. It is usually solitary, and in the breeding season it gathers in loose colonies rather than large ones.

Order

Ciconiiformes

Family

Ciconiidae — Storks

Breeding range

Oriental Region: Nepal and India through se Asia to Greater Sundas