Abdim's Stork
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[Photo] An Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimii) at the Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/10535412@N00/508564998 Date May 19, 2007. Author Lynn (http://www.flickr.com/people/10535412@N00) from West Allis, USA

The Abdim's Stork, (Ciconia abdimii) also known as White-bellied Stork, is a black stork with grey legs, red knees and feet, grey bill and white underparts. It has red facial skin in front of eye and blue skin near the bill in breeding season. It is the smallest species of stork (but is still a large bird), at 73 cm (29 in) and a weight of just over 1 kg (2.2 lbs). The female lays two to three eggs and is slightly smaller than male.

The Abdim's Stork is distributed to open habitats throughout East Africa, from Ethiopia south to South Africa. The diet consists mainly of locusts, caterpillars and other large insects.

The smallest stork, this species is welcomed and protected by local African belief as a harbinger of rain and good luck. The name commemorates the Turkish Governor of Wadi Halfa in Sudan Bey El-Arnaut Abdim (1780-1827).

Widespread and common throughout its large range, the Abdim's Stork is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdim%27s_Stork

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