Lesser Adjutant
Leptoptilos javanicus
13.24, 103.66
Field Notes
Description:
Listed as Vulnerable under the IUCNredlist. "[The Lesser Adjutant] is a large stork with an upright stance, a bare head and neck without a pendant pouch, stand[ing] about 110–120 cm (43–47 in) tall. [Can be confused with] the greater adjutant, but this species is generally smaller and has a straight upper bill edge...with a paler base and appears slightly trimmer and less hunch-backed. The skullcap is paler and the upper plumage is uniformly dark, appearing almost all black. The nearly naked head and neck have a few scattered hair-like feathers. The belly and undertail are white." (Wiki)
Habitat:
Staring from a tree in the Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, Tonle Sap Lake, near Siem Reap; after flying away as the boat came along.
Notes:
"The sanctuary harbours seven species of water birds of global significance: Spot billed Pelican, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Greater Adjutant, Black headed Ibis, Oriental Darter, there is a globally significant population of Grey-headed Fish Eagles and the secretive Masked Finfoot was spotted on an SVC trip in March 2011, over 150 species have been recorded in the reserve. The Prek Toal area consists of seasonally inundated freshwater swamp forest with a high botanical diversity. Short tree shrub makes up most of the landscape, forming a dense under story with scattered large trees, which form the vital nesting ground for large water birds. Prek Toal is unmatched throughout South East Asia for the number and populations of endangered water birds it supports through the dry season. Large flocks of cormorants, storks and pelicans are almost guaranteed from January to May, along with herons, egrets and terns." (Sam Veasna Center) http://samveasna.org/bird-site/prek-toal.html
According to the Birdlife International (2016) species factsheet, "Leptoptilos javanicus has an extensive range across South and South-East Asia...Substantial populations remain only in Cambodia (over 600 known pairs at Tonle Sap and the northern forests...and a national total estimated withing the range 1,500-3,500 pairs..."
Reference: Identification verified by our guide from the Sam Veasna Center.
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