PLATALEIDA:—SPOONBILL. 185 
BLACK STORK. 
Ciconia nigra (Zzzn). 
Adult: Entire head, neck, and uffer parts black, glossed 
with purplish or coppery reflections; wings and tail more 
glossy black ; wader parts white; bill, naked skin round eye, 
legs and feet scarlet ; irides reddish-brown. Length 4o to 42 
inches ; culmen 7°4; wing 19 to 21; tail 9°5; tarsus 7°4. | 
Immature Birds: Are much browner above than adults 
and in first plumage have whitish tips to the feathers of head 
and neck ; legs and bill greenisb. 
Distribution: Inhabits a large proportion of the Palearc- 
tic region, also India and Africa. Of rare occurrence in 
Northern Europe, including England. 
Habitat : Frequents marshes or marshy woods. Solitary 
in habits. 
Family PLATALEIDA. 
Genus PLATALEA. 
SPOONBILL. 
Platalea leucorodia Lznz. 
Adult : Occipital feathers elongated into a cres?, these ana 
feathers round lower neck jade yellow, the former paler ; 
rest of plumage entirely white ; bill dark slate-colour, barred 
with black in places, the terminal, dvoad/y flattened portion 
yellow, bordered with dusky brown ; chin yellowish ; legs and 
feet black; irides crimson. Length 32 inches; culmen 7°! ; 
wing 15 to 16; tail 5; tarsus 5 ; bare part of tibia 3°5. 
Adult (Winter) : Similar, but lacks crest. 
Immature Birds: Resemble adults in winter, but have a 
brown bill. 
Distribution : Inhabits Central and Southern Europe, the 
Azores, Canaries, Northern Africa, and ranges across Asia to 
India and Japan. 
Habitat: Open marshy places, or mud-banks near the sea- 
coast. Gregarious. 
