Alison Meier's photos

The male bird differs from the female in that he has a dark brown eye instead of a bright yellow eye. Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Chordata Class - Aves Order - Ciconiiformes Family - Ciconiidae Genus - Ephippiorhynchus Size and Height: 129 – 137 cm Wing span: 230 cm Status: Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List 2004 Description: The black-necked stork is a huge wading bird with a spectacular and distinctive plumage. Easily recognised by its striking black-and-white markings, this bird possesses a jet-black head, wing bar and tail, which contrast against the white plumage of the rest of the body. Other characteristic features include an iridescent neck that appears green, blue or purple depending on the angle, a massive black bill and long, coral-red legs. Sexes are identical except for the colour of the iris, which is yellow in the female, brown in the male. Juveniles are brown instead of black-and-white, and sub-adults resemble adults, but the white plumage is duskier and the legs are black. Range: The black-necked stork ranges from South and Southeast Asia to Australia, occurring in Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Irian Jaya, (Indonesia), Papua New Guinea and Australia. Source: Arkive.org www.arkive.org/black-necked-stork/ephippiorhynchus-asiati...

Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Chordata Class - Aves Order - Ciconiiformes Family - Ciconiidae Genus - Ephippiorhynchus Size and Height: 129 – 137 cm Wing span: 230 cm Status: Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List 2004 Description: The black-necked stork is a huge wading bird with a spectacular and distinctive plumage. Easily recognised by its striking black-and-white markings, this bird possesses a jet-black head, wing bar and tail, which contrast against the white plumage of the rest of the body. Other characteristic features include an iridescent neck that appears green, blue or purple depending on the angle, a massive black bill and long, coral-red legs. Sexes are identical except for the colour of the iris, which is yellow in the female, brown in the male. Juveniles are brown instead of black-and-white, and sub-adults resemble adults, but the white plumage is duskier and the legs are black. Range: The black-necked stork ranges from South and Southeast Asia to Australia, occurring in Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Irian Jaya, (Indonesia), Papua New Guinea and Australia. Source: Arkive.org www.arkive.org/black-necked-stork/ephippiorhynchus-asiati...

There was a family of Laughing Kookaburras that lived in the trees beside our rooms. They mostly stayed in the trees and were just a bit too far away to get good images of. But one day, this little guy came and sat on the railings of the balcony. He just sat and sat and sat. After I'd finished shooting him, he very gently took bread from my hands and permitted a small stroke down his back.

Sharp of beak and eye, anyway.