Common Name: Asian woolly-necked Stork
Scientific Name: Ciconia episcopus
Family: Ciconiidae
Nepali Name: Setokanthe Garud ( सेतोकण्ठे गरुड )
Size: 75–92 cm tall
Location: Manahara, Kathmandu; Rupandehi, Lumbini 

The Asian Woolly-necked Stork is a large and striking wetland bird found across the lowland plains of Nepal, particularly within elevations of 75 to 915 meters. Easily recognized by its glossy black body contrasted with a distinctive white, “woolly” neck, this stork often inhabits riverbanks, wetlands, flooded fields, and open grasslands of the Terai.

Unlike some highly colonial stork species, the Asian Woolly-necked Stork is frequently seen alone, in pairs, or in small family groups, quietly foraging for fish, frogs, insects, and other small aquatic animals. It nests on tall trees, often near human settlements, showing a degree of adaptability to modified landscapes.

In Nepal, this species is considered vulnerable due to wetland degradation, agricultural intensification, and disturbance to nesting sites. Protecting lowland wetlands and large nesting trees is essential to ensuring the continued survival of this elegant stork in the country’s diverse ecosystems.

Please feel free to comment below if the above species has been misidentified.

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