Manish Trivedi

This is a wetland area near historical city, Jamnagar in Gujarat ruled by His higness Jamsaheb Shri Shatrushalyasinhji Jadeja.

The Black necked stork is found all over Indian plains common nowhere but widespread. It is also seen regularly on costal wetlands and mangrove swamps, and even breeds on tall mangrove in Gujarat.

In India this stork is widely but thinly distributed with the north and northwest regions forming its main strong holds.

our team visited a small but very rich bird sanctuary and surrounding wetlands frequently and picturesd the nesting behavior of a near threatened Black Necked Stork during August to February.

During their breeding period in the peak of monsoon they have dance like display. The pair talk up to each other, extending their wings process occurs on the nest they have initiated. Copulation continues for around two or three weeks. The nest is large made up of sticks, branches and lined up with rushes, water plants and sometime with a mud plaster on the edges. The nest may be reused year after year secluded part of large marshes. Eggs are laid and the incubation is shared by both bird.

Black necked stork is 1.3 mtr. Tall bird having a wingspan of arroud 2 meters with a huge long black bill and a short tail. Weight of adult bird is near 4 to 4.5 k.g. recorded. The body is white with black contrasting wings. Head and neck are bluish black with shiny green and purple gloss. The crown is coppery brown. The male has a dark brown iris where as the female has a yellow. They keep on preening their feathers which is one of their major activity. The life spain of this bird is around 35 to 40 years in Indian subcontinent. The arrival of bird here like black drongo and a darter is not liked near the nest and it extends its neck by making it fluffy and flapping wings to show its strength. They keep on adjusting and adding sticks around eggs. Clutch can be of 2 to 5 eggs. They make the nest strong and safe for chicks to be born. Both parents consume food collected and stored on nest earlier like frogs, snakes, fishes, molasses amphibians. The nest is as large as around 3 to 6 feet across. Both parents share the nest building and feeding chicks activities. This species may have reached critical population due to the disappearance of nesting sites owing to the wanton destruction of large trees and decimation of mangrove in costal areas. In Inda,

Based on details field and literature survery by Mr. Asad Rahmani, a well known researcher total 141 sightings in 11 states were noted in India between 1981 to 1989. As per other surveys 187 Black necked stork were reported from 53 states across India. In all 22% of the sites were in Gujarat.

Late Shri Dharamkumarrsinhji found black necked stork is to be not uncommon in Saurashtra region written by Mr. Rahmani.

The incubation period is around 30 to 35 days, two chicks are born tooks one month old chicks born with white down now is replaced by darker grey down within a week.

A growing chicks can now stand on their feet. They play with each other and clatters their bills.

One adult remains at the nest with chicks for warmth and protection from predators flying around nesting site.

The other bird take a turn at the nest to relieve the other.

It has come with a food and water collected in its large beck. And pours water on chicks and on the sticks around to cool them and the nest to relieve from the heat and feeds chicks with fishes.

Now chicks are grown up fast, healthy and active. Adults stops feeding chicks after they are 3 to 4 months old and shows aggression towards them is find food by themselves. In Khijadiya bird sanctuary and surrounding wetlands the forest Department has well protected the nesting sites of Black necked stork since many years. Resulted in increase of their populations in not only Khijadiya bird sanctuary but surrounding wetlands of Jamnagar.

Chicks remain with their parents for six months and have mottled appearance especially on head and neck.

This species is declining in most part of India. Degradation of wetland habitat human activities are main factors affecting their lifestyle. Once important wetlands and nesting sites have been located they should be strictly protected for that species attention should be given for this. As more than 90% of the population is found in Australia according to wetlands international. Even this needs to be treated with caution as the species is higly territorial and does not live in groups.

Learns the foraging skills performed by their parents. The nesting period is three to four months and juveniles stay with the parents till the next breeding season.

Visit and subscribe my you tube channel, and view the full documentation of nesting behaviour of black necked stork.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_cvBJvI6j0