MyKrugerHoliday
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗
African Openbill
Oopbekooievaar · Anastomus lamelligerus
This dark, glossy stork has one of the strangest bills in the bird world: even when closed, there is a clear gap in the middle. That special gap helps it grip and open its favourite food, water snails and mussels. It often gathers in flocks at shallow water, prising shellfish open like a clever can-opener.
Log your African Openbill sighting — free →How to identify it
Look for the visible gap between the upper and lower halves of its dark bill, even when shut.
Where to see it in Kruger
Look at shallow pans, dams and floodplains, especially along the Sabie and Olifants Rivers after rains.
Did you know
The gap in its bill works like a nutcracker, perfect for popping open slippery snail shells!
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