The openbill storksoropenbills are two speciesofstork (family Ciconiidae) in the genus Anastomus. They are large wading birds characterized by large bills, the mandibles of which do not meet except at the tip. This feature develops only in the adults. Both species feed predominantly on molluscs. The roof of the upper bill is fringed with plate-like structures ("lamellae") in the African openbill, but these are absent in the Asian openbill.[2][3]
| Openbill storks | |
|---|---|
| |
| African openbill by Huet & Prêtre | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Ciconiiformes |
| Family: | Ciconiidae |
| Genus: | Anastomus Bonnaterre, 1791 |
| Type species | |
| Ardea oscitans[1] Boddaert, 1783 | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The genus Anastomus was erected by the French naturalist Pierre Bonnaterre in 1791.[4] The type species was subsequently designated as the Asian openbill (Anastomus oscitans).[5][6] The name Anastomus is from the Ancient Greek αναστομοω anastomoō meaning "to furnish with a mouth" or "with mouth wide-opened".[7]
There are two species of openbilled storks:[8]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| African openbill
|
Anastomus lamelligerus Temminck, 1823 |
A resident breeder in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Madagascar
|
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
| Asian openbill
|
Anastomus oscitans (Boddaert, 1783) |
A resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia.
|
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
LC
|
 | This bird-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
