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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Ephippiorhynchus Senegalensis, Saddle-billed Stork, Saalbekooievaar.
Family Cociniidae This family consists out of large to very large long-legged and long-necked birds with straight, stout bills. Storks walk with stately gait and frequently rest on the ground with lower part of their legs stretched forward. Food ranges from large insects, reptiles, frogs and other waterlife. The beste are large stick structures placed in trees or on rocks. cliffs or the ground. This is a huge bird, typically 150 cm tall with a 270cm wingspan. Females are distinctly smaller than the males.
Description The saddle-billed stork is a very beautiful bird. However it is relatively uncommon in the Kruger National Park. It is a large, strikingly coloured stork unlikely to be confused with any other stork either at rest or in flight. Sexes are identically plumaged except that the female has a golden yellow iris, while the male's is brown. Juveniles are browner grey instead of black markings while the white areas are marked with black or dark-grey. This bird can be spotted alone or in pairs in shallow waters of large rivers, dams, floodplains and marshes.
The Saddle-billed Stork breeds in marshes and other wetlands in tropical lowland. It builds a large, deep stick nest in a tree, laying one or two white eggs weighing about 146g each. It does not form breeding colonies, and is usually found alone or in pairs. The incubation period is 30-35 days, with another 70 - 100 days before the chicks fledge.
Another view of the same bird I posted some time ago. This one shows it actually in the process of swallowing a frog. Typical model - did not want to turn the head a little to the side so we all can see the frog nicely!!!
RAW, levels and contrast adjusted, converted and then sharpend and cropped slightly, resized for site
Hope you like it! |
elefantino has marked this note useful
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Great colors and POW.
Good note.
Andrea
- EOSF1
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1250 W: 103 N: 4150]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(18899) - [2006-05-10 20:58]
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Fine picture Tim, very funny pose, sharp picture and great colors. Well done again my friend.
Mario
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 242 W: 7 N: 458]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}