In the serene village of Konara Xotro (Boglamari) in Barpeta District, I encountered the majestic Asian Openbill Stork, locally known as Xamuk Khola (শামুক খোলা), during an early morning stroll at 7:30 am on a chilly, fog-laden winter day.

Armed with my Nikon Z6II and a powerful 200-500mm 5.6 Nikkor lens,I captured the essence of this large wading bird from the stork family, Ciconiidae. Dressed in grey or white plumage, adorned with glossy black wings and tail, these storks exhibit a distinctive feature: a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower mandible, particularly prominent in adults. This adaptation aids them in handling snails, their primary prey.

While these birds are resident in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, they embark on extensive migrations in response to weather conditions and food availability.