by wikipedia
Friday, 6 February 2015
Greater adjutant
The greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the lesser adjutant of Asia and the marabou stork of Africa. Once found widely across southern Asia, mainly in India but extending east to Borneo,
the greater adjutant is now restricted to a much smaller range with
only two small breeding populations; one in India with the largest
colony in Assam and the other in Cambodia.
Populations disperse after the breeding season. This large stork has a
massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head and a distinctive neck pouch.
During the day, they soar in thermals along with vultures with whom they
share the habit of scavenging. They feed mainly on carrion and offal;
however, they are opportunistic and will sometimes prey on vertebrates.
The English name is derived from their stiff "military" gait when
walking on the ground. Large numbers once lived in Asia, but have
declined greatly, possibly due to improved sanitation, to the point of
being endangered. The total population in 2008 was estimated at around a
thousand individuals. In the 19th century, they were especially common
in the city of Calcutta, where they were referred to as the "Calcutta adjutant". Known locally as hargila (derived from the Sanskrit
word for "bone-swallower") and considered to be unclean birds, they
were largely left undisturbed but sometimes hunted for the use of their
meat in folk medicine. Valued as scavengers, they were once used in the logo of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
by wikipedia
by wikipedia
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment