Open Billed Stork

[Ken Watkins]

Another image from one of our many trips (too few really) down the Manze channel in Selous game reserve Tanzania, 7th July 2012.

This bird was on the wrong side of the channel for the nice evening light hence the somewhat strange settings

EOS 1D MkIII

70-200mm F2.8 MkII at 200mm from drifting boat

F5, ISO 400, 1/2000, EV -0.67

[Ofer Levy]

Interesting looking bird, sharp with nice detail. The busy BG is not great.

[Ken Watkins]

Ofer,

Perhaps I should have added that it was the wrong side of the channel for BG as well T
he other side has far less reeds and is by comparison quite open (see yesterday's Squacco Heron)

[Satish Ranadive]

Magnificent image in habitat.
I like the bird,seeing it for the first time.Excellent details,nice colors with great details.

Regards,
Satish.

[Karl Egressy]

Nice pose captured in great light and habitat.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I will agree that the BG is very prominent and distracting, but the subject looks great...well exposed, lots of detail, and a very unusual look in a good way. I also like the curled grasses along the bottom. I imagine there is always a gap between the mandibles, hence the name?

[Ken Watkins]

I imagine there is always a gap between the mandibles, hence the name?

You are correct, it comes in useful for eating snails their favourite snack, here is one making use of the bill from a couple of years back

http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ghlight=garlic