Birdsong field guide
Milky Stork
Mycteria cinerea
The Milky Stork is a large, endangered wading bird characterized by its white plumage, yellow bill, and contrasting black flight feathers. It is a specialist of coastal mangrove ecosystems in Southeast Asia, where it is often seen foraging in shallow tidal mudflats.
What it sounds like
Generally silent outside the breeding season; at nests, it produces guttural croaks and displays rhythmic bill-clattering.
Field notes
- It employs a tactile feeding method called 'bill-groping,' sweeping its open beak through murky water to snap shut on prey by touch.
- During the breeding season, the bird's white feathers can take on a distinct pinkish hue and its bare facial skin turns a deep wine-red.
- The species is colonial, often nesting in the upper canopy of tall mangrove trees alongside other waterbirds like herons and egrets.
- The global population is critically small, estimated at fewer than 2,000 individuals, largely due to the rapid loss of mangrove habitats.
- Unlike many other storks, the Milky Stork is almost entirely restricted to coastal and estuarine environments rather than inland wetlands.
Habitat
Coastal mangroves, tidal mudflats, estuaries, and salt-marsh edges.
Range
Southeast Asia, with primary populations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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