Painted Stork

The painted stork is a large wader of wetlands on the plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas, extending into Southeast Asia. It gets its name from the pink tips of the adult's long tertial feathers. The heavy yellow bill has a down-curved tip like an ibis's, the adult's bare head is orange or reddish, and a black breast band has white scaly markings. The legs look white because of its habit of defecating on them (Wikipedia, general species account).

It forages in flocks in shallow water, sweeping half-open bills from side to side and snapping up small fish sensed by touch, and stirs the water with its feet to flush hiding fish. It nests colonially in trees, often with other waterbirds, and is not migratory. It is often seen soaring on thermals. Nationally Least Concern (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).