(Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis)

One of the tallest species of storks is the Saddle-billed Stork, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, which stands up to 58 in. high. It has a large crimson bill with a black band and a triangular yellow frontal shield (or saddle), and has black legs with reddish joints. The overall coloring is black and white--the head, neck, tail and wing-coverts black, the remaining plumage and the flight feathers white. It breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, generally by rivers. The large nest is built of sticks in the tops of tall trees. It lays one egg. It feeds on grasshoppers, fish, frogs and lizards.

Storks differ from other birds in that they have no muscles in their voice boxes. They communicate by rattling their bills. They are all strong flyers and alternately flap and glide across the sky. Fossil records date storks back some 50 million years, making them an ancient group of birds.

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