The Abdim’s Stork (Ciconia abdimii) is a medium-sized wetlands bird. It is also known as the White-Bellied Stork or the Grasshopper BIrd.
The Abdim’s Stork is black with white underparts. It has grey-pink legs, red knees, and red feet. It has a grey beak. It has red skin on it face in front of its eyes, and blue skin near its beak in the breeding season.
Abdim’s Stork
It measures 73 centimetres (29 inches) tall. It is the smallest species of stork in the world.
The Abdim’s Stork is native to east Africa, from Ethiopia in the north to South Africa in the south. It prefers open grasslands. It migrates north in spring.
It eats grasshoppers, locusts, caterpillars, and other large insects. Sometimes it eats lizards, frogs, mice, and crabs.
The Abdim’s Stork lives in large flocks of upt to 10,000 individuals.
The female lays 2-3 eggs.
Abdim’s Stork
Abdim’s Stork
Abdim’s Stork
Abdim’s Stork
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM