Open billed stork

Asian Open-bill stork’s scientific name, Anastomus oscitans, explains, why it can’t keep its mouth shut. The name is a combination of Greek and Latin words. Anastomus in ancient Greek means, “with mouth wide-opened”. “Oscitans” is a Latin word that means “to yawn”.

Smallest among the nine stork species found in India, Asian open-bill storks have a yawning gap in their bill. The gap helps in opening the thick shells of snails, which form a large part of its diet. The gap is not seen in juveniles.

Storks and herons gulp down their prey in their entirety as birds don’t have teeth. The bill is grooved all along the edges. The upper part of the beak curves downward, and the lower part turns up. When the tips are together there is space left in the middle. This together with the grooves helps it securely hold the slippery snail shells until it can insert the pointed tip of its bill into the shell, cutting the snail loose and eating it.

Asian Open-bill storks have a greyish-to-white body with black wings and tails with a hint of gloss.

Photos and content by Prerna Jain.