Saddle-billed Stork Species Profile: East Africa's Tallest Stork

Watching a saddle-billed stork stalk the edge of a river is a lesson in patience. It stands more than a metre and a half tall on long red-banded legs, scanning the shallows, then strikes with a lightning thrust of its heavy bill. It is often the bird guides stop for first when a boat rounds a bend.

This profile covers identification, behaviour, nesting and conservation, and the best waterways for finding one. For wider planning, see the Uganda birds species guide and bird checklist and best months.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

The saddle-billed stork is unmistakable once seen. The head, neck, back and tail are glossy black, the body and wing coverts are white, and the long legs are black with pink or red joints. The huge bill is bright red with a black band across the middle, topped by a yellow frontal plate that gives the bird its name, since it looks like a saddle. Males have dark brown eyes, while females have yellow eyes, and a small yellow wattle hangs from the base of the bill in the female. Young birds are grey and brown and take a few years to gain full adult plumage.

Habitat and Range

This stork lives along rivers, lakes, floodplains and seasonal pools across sub-Saharan Africa. It prefers open shallow water with plenty of fish and amphibians, and it can be found at the edge of papyrus or reeds. In Uganda the river banks of Murchison Falls National Park and the shores of the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park are classic places, and it also turns up around Lake Mburo and in Rwanda's Akagera National Park.

Fishing Technique

The saddle-billed stork hunts by sight. It walks slowly through shallow water, sometimes with wings half opened to cast a shadow that reduces glare and attracts fish, then stabs or grabs prey with the bill. Fish form the main diet, but it also takes frogs, crabs, snakes, small birds and rodents. Large catches are tossed in the air and swallowed head first. Pairs often hunt along the same stretch of shoreline, and their steady, unhurried style makes them easy to follow from a boat.

Territory and Breeding

Saddle-billed storks are territorial and usually seen alone or in pairs, rather than in the big groups common to other storks. A pair defends a large stretch of water and often returns to the same nesting area year after year. Courtship involves bill clattering, bowing and a graceful display. The nest is a large platform of sticks built in a tree or on a rocky ledge near water, usually containing one to three eggs. Both parents share incubation and feeding of the chicks, which fledge after a few months.

Threats and Conservation

The species is regarded as of least concern globally, but it occurs at low density and is declining in places. Wetland drainage, pollution, disturbance of nesting sites, fishing nets and the loss of large nesting trees all affect it. Where rivers are well protected, as in national parks, it does well. The saddle-billed stork also functions as an indicator of healthy wetland systems, because it depends on abundant fish. Boat operators who slow down and avoid pushing close to nests help to protect it. See responsible and conservation travel.

Where to See Saddle-billed Storks

Boat trips are best. The Nile delta boat trip at Murchison, which also covers shoebill territory, usually passes at least one pair, and the Kazinga Channel launch cruise often turns up another. In Kenya, look along the Mara River and in Tsavo, and in Tanzania in the Serengeti and Katavi river systems. You can pair a stork search with a shoebill trip; read the shoebill facts page for more.

Photography and Related Species

Aim for early morning, when the water is calm and the black and white plumage is evenly lit. Shoot from a boat at water level for the best angles, and keep both a fast shutter speed for strikes and a wide enough frame for the reflections. Look for related water birds, including the African fish eagle, the marabou stork and the kingfishers, which share the same shorelines. Further tips: safari photography tips.

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Related Tours, Guides and Resources

• Ameera Africa Safaris homepage: Uganda safaris, tours and holidays
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• Uganda travel guide
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