Bird · Resident
Saddle-billed Stork
How to identify the saddle-billed stork
Black head, neck, wings and tail against a white body; a very long red bill with a black band and a yellow frontal shield. Males have dark eyes and two small yellow wattles; females have bright yellow eyes.
Where to see the saddle-billed stork in Murchison Falls National Park
At the water's edge on delta and river cruises, and beside pools and wet hollows on game drives north of the Nile.
Habitat
Shallow wetlands, river margins, flooded grassland and swamp edges.
What the saddle-billed stork eats
Fish, frogs, crabs and other small animals, caught by stabbing into shallow water as it wades.
Behaviour
Pairs stay together for years and hold large territories, so the bird is never numerous.
Best time to see the saddle-billed stork
All year. Resident, here all year.
Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Further reading: en.wikipedia.org.
Questions about the saddle-billed stork
How can I tell male and female saddle-billed storks apart?
By the eye: the male's is dark brown and the female's is yellow. The male also has two small yellow wattles at the base of the bill.
More birds
Northern Carmine Bee-eater
Merops nubicus
The northern carmine bee-eater is a brilliant pinkish-red bee-eater with a blue-green head and long tail streamers. It moves within Africa with the s…
Red-throated Bee-eater
The red-throated bee-eater is a small green bee-eater with a scarlet throat and buff underparts. It nests in colonies in the sandy cliffs of the Nile…
Pied Kingfisher
The pied kingfisher is a black-and-white kingfisher that hovers over the water before diving for fish. It is one of the commonest birds on the Nile i…