Rare Painted Stork Spotted in Kaziranga National Park Amid Winter Migration

A pair of rare Painted Storks was sighted in Kaziranga National Park on 3rd Oct 2025, highlighting the park’s ecological richness and migratory bird diversity.

Kaziranga National Park witnessed a remarkable ornithological sighting on 3rd October 2025, when a pair of Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala) was spotted, marking a significant record for the park.

The Painted Stork, a large wading bird of the stork family Ciconiidae, is easily identifiable by its striking plumage with rose-pink tertial feathers, black-and-white markings, and a long yellow-orange bill. Classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, the species faces threats from habitat loss, wetland degradation, and disturbances in breeding colonies. It is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia.

Sightings of Painted Storks in Kaziranga are extremely rare, with the first published record dating back to 2004, followed by sightings in 2005 and again in 2022 during the migratory waterfowl census. No observations were reported after that until this recent sighting.

The timing of the sighting coincides with the arrival of winter migratory birds in Kaziranga. Each October, the park’s wetlands attract a rich variety of migratory waterfowl and waders, making it one of the most vibrant birding landscapes in the region. The Painted Stork’s presence adds to this diversity, underscoring Kaziranga’s ecological importance as a haven for both resident and migratory avifauna.

Also Read: Centre Approves 34.5 km Kaziranga Corridor; Sonowal Calls It Historic