Anastomus - Definition

Openbill storks
Juvenile Asian Openbill Stork
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Ciconiidae Genus: Anastomus
Species
A. oscitans A. lamelligerus

The Openbill Storks are the two members of the stork genus Anastomus.

These large wading birds are characterised, as the name suggests, by large bills, the mandibles of which do not meet except at the tip. This feature develops only in the adults.

The two species are:

• the Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia.
• and the African Openbill Stork, Anastomus lamelligerus, a resident breeder in Africa and Madagascar.

References

• Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp; Birds of India. ISBN 0-691-04910-6
• Barlow, Wacher and Disley; Birds of The Gambia. ISBN 1-873403-32-1