Bird of the Week: Yellow-Billed Stork

Or, as the Finns call it, the afrikaniibishaikara!

This week's Bird of the Week is a real doozy. It's the one, the only, the Yellow-Billed Stork.

Credit: Rod Waddington

You can see why it's called a yellow-billed stork. Look at that yellow bill! It's so yellow, and also huge.

Here are a bunch of yellow-billed storks, just hanging out, being storks.

Credit: Son of Groucho

Did you know that in Finnish, a yellow-billed stork is called an afrikaniibishaikara? It's true, look it up. It's called a Gulnebbstork in Norwegian. Let's do another picture.

Credit: Sumarie Slabber

The yellow-billed stork can be found all around Africa. Here is what ebird.com has to say:

Large, mostly white stork with a distinctive yellow bill and bright red facial skin. It is more tied to wetland habitats than most other storks, and it forages with its bill partially submerged and open, stirring up prey in muddy pools with its feet. When it encounters prey it snaps its bill closed. It is a resident and partial migrant throughout its range, and although not particularly gregarious, it will congregate when food is abundant.

Weird that it has such a big mouth but doesn't like to talk that much. If anyone has permission to be gregarious, it's a bird with a beak the size of a small child. One more pic.

Credit: Benjamin Hollis

The majesty this has, the grace. We salute you.

A reminder: you can check out our complete Bird of the Week list here, and get in touch with your bird suggestions at hello@discourseblog.com.