Picture of Yellow-billed StorkDescription of the Yellow-billed Stork: Scientific Name: (Mycteria Ibis) Distribution mainly in Eastern Africa. Yellow-billed Stork is mainly in and around aquatic habitats such as coastal lagoons, mud flats and shallow lakes. They feed on a diet of invertebrates, fish, frogs and crustaceans (lobsters, crabs and shrimps) Despite its Latin name, the Yellow-billed Stork is not related to the Ibis family. The bird was hastily named, before scientists had discovered that the Yellow-billed Stork was a part of the stork family. Nonetheless, this species of bird is endowed with all the features of a stork, being very large with long legs, a long bill, a straight upright stance and broad wings which makes it a strong flyer. Apart from other storks, the Yellow-billed stork has one great remarkable adaptation to its way of life. This species of stork birds has the quickest muscular reflex of the neck of any other kind of animals in the world, allowing it to catch almost all food that touches its bill. This form of dexterousness is indeed important to a bird that uses only touch to catch its prey rather than sight like most other birds do. The Yellow-billed Stork uses its feet to stir up the mud and scare out any small animals it might like to eat. The Yellow-billed Stork has a life span of up to 40 years in captivity. |
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