Leptoptilos dubius (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)

They are iteroparous, seasonal breeder, dioecious (sexes separate), reproduce sexually, oviparous. The mating system is monogamous, but not always paired for life. Great adjutants are colonial nesters and build many nests in the canopy of a single tree. males will present females with twigs as part of courtship and courtship rituals consist more of courtship postures, where males will hold their beaks close to potential mates or tuck the females heads under their chins. Pairs also perform up-down bobbing motions together. Both male and female greater adjutants participate in nest building. Females lay 3 eggs per. Both parents participate in incubating eggs until they hatch after 28 to 30 days. Chicks fledge at 5 months of age.

The total length is 120 to 152 cm with an impressive 250 cm wingspan, the bill is 32.2 cm (12.7 in) long and the wing chord averages 80.5 cm (31.7 in), the tail 31.8 cm (12.5 in) and the tarsus 32.4 cm (12.8 in) in length.

It is an important scavengers of large carrion and likely contribute to sanitation and disease control in the environment.

It is omnivorous and mainly a scavenger, it preys on frogs and large insects and will also take birds, reptiles and rodents.

Inhabits garbage dumps in urban areas, marshes, flooded fields, beels and sandy tracts of larger rivers.

In breeding season it inhabits wetlands, nesting in tall trees with closed canopies and bamboo clumps around nesting trees, and historically on cliffs, it also occurs close to and within urban areas, feeding around wetlands in. It is also known to breeds in freshwater flooded forest and areas of dry forest with ephemeral pools, otherwise dispersing to seasonally inundated forest, carcass dumps, tall wet grassland, mangroves and intertidal flats. It generally inhabits the lowlands but is occasionally found up to 1,500 m.

IUCN Redlist Status: Endangered

Endangered (IUCN 3.1)

Most significant threats are direct exploitation, particularly at nesting colonies, habitat destruction, including felling of nest-trees, and drainage, conversion, pollution and over-exploitation of wetlands and contaminated open rubbish dumps where pollutants are disposed along with carcasses and foodstuffs and it is also known to accidentally ingest polythene bags if food is wrapped inside. Young birds may also become entangled in fishing nets and poisoning of small wetlands to catch fish, pesticide use at open rubbish dumps where storks flocked to feed led to several mortalities.