Photo: Jason Thompson / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Lesser Adjutant
Leptoptilos javanicus
Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) — Storks of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) is a member of the Ciconiidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 4.7 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Ciconiiformes
- Family Ciconiidae Storks
- Genus Leptoptilos
- Species javanicus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 4.7 kg
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Ciconiidae
- Order
- Ciconiiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Lesser Adjutant is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Lesser Adjutant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) is a species of bird in the Ciconiidae family, part of the order Ciconiiformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Nepal and India through se Asia to Greater Sundas.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 4.7 kg, with a wing length of about 62.5 cm and a tail of around 27.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Lesser Adjutant?
The Lesser Adjutant is a very large bird that weighs around 4.7 kg.
Where does the Lesser Adjutant live?
The Lesser Adjutant is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Nepal and India through se Asia to Greater Sundas, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Lesser Adjutant belong to?
The Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) belongs to the Ciconiidae family, in the order Ciconiiformes.
What does the Lesser Adjutant eat?
The Lesser Adjutant is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Lesser Adjutant migrate?
The Lesser Adjutant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Lesser Adjutant endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Lesser Adjutant make?
1 real field recording of the Lesser Adjutant — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Lesser Adjutant's range?
The Lesser Adjutant has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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