Saddle Billed Stork

I was really excited to see a Saddle Billed Stork at one of the pans close to Leopard Hills on drive yesterday morning.

Being a passionate birder this was my highlight so far at Leopard Hills, especially considering it is a young male. Males have dark eyes and yellow wattles under the bill (This male has very small yellow wattles and new plumage around the head). Females have yellow eyes and no wattles.

Maybe he is looking for a territory and a female, they are usually found in pairs along water courses or suitable pan systems.

There is only an estimated 100 individuals left in SA and EWT is currently running a competition trying to identify individuals and estimate an updated population figure. Each bird has a unique pattern where the black band meets the front of the red bill.