Sadulnokk-toonekurg, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Noor sadulnokk-toonekurg kahlamas õhtuhakul ühes Krugeri rahvuspargi järvekeses. Nimi tuleneb sadulakujulisest moodustisest noka ülaosas, mis noorlindudel on veel üsna tagasihoidlik. Eks tulevikus panen mõne vanalinnu pildi kah, siis on asi selgem. 

Juvenile Saddle-billed Stork wading through a small lakelet in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The name derives from the fact that adult birds have a quite noticable frontal shield on the bill. You cannot see this on the junior stork but I will add a photo of an adult someday, then it becomes clear.

Sadulnokk-toonekurg, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Nagu siin lubasin, siis pilt ka täiskasvanud linnust. Pildil on emaslind, selle reedab silmaiirise värvus (isastel on pruunid silmad). Sadulnokk on üks pikemaid kurgesid maailmas, varvastest  pealaeni on kuni 1,5 meetrit. Krugeri rahvuspark, LAV.

As I promised here, a photo of an adult Saddle-billed stork. It is a female bird as it has golden yellow iris (males have brown eyes). Saddle-bill is one of the tallest storks in the world, with iths height of 1,5 metres. Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Sadulnokk-toonekurg, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Efektse välimusega sadulnokk-toonekurg on Sahara-aluses Aafrikas üsna levinud lind. Seetõttu jäi kurg ilmselt silma ka kunagistele egiptlastele, kes lõid temakujulise hieroglüüfi. Pildil on tumeda silmaiirisega isaslind, emas- ja noorlindu saab näha eelpool toodud lingile litsudes. Krugeri rahvuspark, LAV.

Saddle-billed Stork looks quite striking but it is a common bird in sub-Saharan Africa. Probably due to its looks, this stork is also represented in an Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph. On the photo you can see a male bird that can be distinguished by the dark iris. To see a female and juvenile, one can use the link above. Kruger National Park, South Africa.