Greater adjutant: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the greater adjutant lives – recorded in 3 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Leptoptilos dubius
Group	Herons, storks, cranes & flamingos
Status	Near threatened (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	3 countries
Continents	Asia
Class	Bird
Order	Ciconiiformes
Family	Ciconiidae

Where does the greater adjutant live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the greater adjutant in 3 countries and territories across Asia.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the greater adjutant endangered?

The greater adjutant’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Near threatened” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the greater adjutant?

The greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) is a bird in the order Ciconiiformes and the family Ciconiidae, genus Leptoptilos. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the greater adjutant

The greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the lesser adjutant of Asia and the marabou stork of Africa. Once found widely across southern Asia and mainland southeast Asia, the greater adjutant is now restricted to a much smaller range with only three breeding populations; two in India, one in the north-eastern state of Assam and a smaller one around Bhagalpur; and another breeding population in Cambodia. They disperse widely after the breeding season. This large stork has a massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head and a distinctive neck pouch. During the day, it soars in thermals along with vultures with whom it shares the habit of scavenging. They feed mainly on carrion and offal; however, they are opportunistic and will sometimes prey on vertebrates. The English name is derived from their stiff "military" gait when walking on the ground (see adjutant). Large numbers once lived in Asia, but they have declined (possibly due to improved sanitation) to the point of endangerment. The total population in 2008 was estimated at around a thousand individuals. In the 19th century, they were especially common in the city of Calcutta, where they were referred to as the "Calcutta adjutant" and included in the coat of arms for the city. Known locally as hargila (derived from the Assamese words har, 'bone', and gila, 'swallower', thus 'bone-swallower') and considered to be unclean birds, they were largely left undisturbed but sometimes hunted for the use of their meat in folk medicine. Valued as scavengers, they were once depicted in the logo of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Greater adjutant (revision 1380340341), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q644012 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).