Openbill stork

Openbill storks
African openbill by Huet & Prêtre
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ciconiidae
Genus: Anastomus
Bonnaterre, 1791
Type species
Ardea oscitans
Boddaert, 1783
Species
Synonyms
  • Hians Lacepede, 1799
  • Rhynchochasme Hermann, 1804
  • Empharis Rafinesque, 1815 (Nom. Nov.)
  • Apertirostra Drapiez, 1822
  • Chaenoramphe Dumont, 1817
  • Chaenoramphus Thon, 1830 (Emend.)
  • Chenoramphus Gray, 1848 (Emend.)
  • Hiator Reichenbach, 1852-53

The openbill storks or openbills are two species of stork (family Ciconiidae) in the genus Anastomus. They are large wading birds characterized by large bills, the mandibles of which do not meet except at the tip. This feature develops only in the adults. Both species feed predominantly on molluscs. The roof of the upper bill is fringed with plate-like structures ("lamellae") in the African openbill, but these are absent in the Asian openbill.