A graceful and elegant bird found widely across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal and Ethiopia down to South Africa. This striking stork is easily recognized by its silky white neck, contrasting with its otherwise glossy black body, which shimmers with purple, green, and bronze tones in sunlight. It was once lumped together with the Asian woolly-necked stork but is now considered a separate African species, adapted beautifully to a variety of habitats, including wetlands, riverbanks, grasslands, agricultural fields, and even village outskirts.
Its most distinctive feature, of course, is its white “woolly” neck feathers, which appear slightly fluffy, even from a distance. Unlike some storks, it doesn’t have flashy bare skin or weird inflatable pouches — its beauty is all about elegant contrast and glossy shine.
Feeding mainly on fish, amphibians, insects, small reptiles, and crustaceans, the woolly-necked stork is a skilled and opportunistic hunter. It can often be seen patiently stalking through shallow water or open grassy areas, moving slowly and striking with quick precision when prey is spotted. Thanks to its adaptable diet, it thrives in both wild wetlands and human-altered landscapes, sometimes foraging in flooded rice fields, suburban gardens, and roadside ditches.
African woolly-necked storks are known for being less social than many other stork species. While they sometimes gather in small loose groups, they are more often seen alone or in pairs, quietly going about their business with a serene dignity.
Unlike the famously silent marabou stork, woolly-necked storks are not entirely mute. They make soft whistles, grunts, and bill-clattering sounds, especially during nesting and courtship — giving them a more expressive voice than many of their stork cousins.
Distribution
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
