Bird Album
Saddle-billed Stork
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis (Shaw, 1800)
6.2 kgWeight
The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae.
Busiest months: August and October–November · Most records: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
Saddle-billed Stork has been recorded at 257 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 26 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Amboseli NPKenya616 records
- Tarangire NPTanzania433 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania305 records
More places
- Lake Nakuru NPKenya303 records
- Nairobi NPKenya295 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya277 records
- Murchison Falls NP – Boat trip Paraa to Murchison FallsUganda259 records
- South Luangwa NPZambia243 records
- Kruger NP – Letaba CampSouth Africa218 records
- Kruger NP – Lower Sabie Rest CampSouth Africa212 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The saddle-billed stork or saddlebill (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a large wading bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. It is a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya south to South Africa and in the Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Chad in west Africa. It is considered endangered in South Africa.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Saddle-billed Stork?
The Saddle-billed Stork weighs around 6.2 kg.
Where does the Saddle-billed Stork live?
Its breeding range: Africa: widespread south of the Sahara. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the Saddle-billed Stork?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Saddle-billed Stork endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Saddle-billed Stork as Near Threatened.
What does the Saddle-billed Stork eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Saddle-billed Stork in?
It belongs to the family Storks (Ciconiidae), order Ciconiiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 6.2 kg
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Near Threatened
More measurements
- Wing
- 617 mm
- Tail
- 281 mm
- Bill
- 288 mm
- Tarsus
- 338 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: widespread south of the Sahara
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Ciconiiformes
- Family
- Storks Ciconiidae
- Genus
- Ephippiorhynchus
Other birds in the genus Ephippiorhynchus
Black-necked StorkEphippiorhynchus asiaticus
African OpenbillAnastomus lamelligerus
Asian OpenbillAnastomus oscitans
Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumenifer
Lesser AdjutantLeptoptilos javanicus
Greater AdjutantLeptoptilos dubius
Wood StorkMycteria americana
Yellow-billed StorkMycteria ibis
Painted StorkMycteria leucocephala
Milky StorkMycteria cinerea
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by LYN FRANCEY. ↗
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