Lesser Adjutant

Lesser Adjutant

Leptoptilos javanicus

Silhouette: Mike Keesey (vectorization) and Vaibhavcho (photography) · PhyloPic

LCNTNear ThreatenedVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Singapore

In 3 days <5%

14 Verified sightings at Singapore
7,612 In all 19 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Lesser Adjutant

The lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Like other members of its genus, it has a bare neck and head. It is however more closely associated with wetland habitats where it is solitary and is less likely to scavenge than the related greater adjutant. It is a widespread species found from India through Southeast Asia.

A large stork with an upright stance, a bare head and neck without a pendant pouch, it has a length of 87–93 cm (34–37 in) (outstretched from bill-to-tail measurement), weighs from 4 to 5.71 kg (8.8 to 12.6 lb) and stands about 110–120 cm (43–47 in) tall. The only confusable species is the greater adjutant, but this species is generally smaller and has a straight upper bill edge (culmen), measuring 25.8–30.8 cm (10.2–12.1 in) in length, with a paler base and appears slightly trimmer and less hunch-backed. The skullcap is paler and the upper plumage is uniformly dark, appearing almost all black. The nearly naked head and neck have a few scattered hair-like feathers. The upper shank or tibia is grey rather than pink, the tarsus measures 22.5–26.8 cm (8.9–10.6 in). The belly and undertail are white... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:00

Nepal · 2013

© Antero Lindholm · XC156243 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
2 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
3 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~50%
4 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~40%
5 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
6 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
7 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~30%
8 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~30%
9 Tanjung Puting National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
10 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
11 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
12 Udawalawe National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
13 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
14 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
15 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
16 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
17 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
18 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
19 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
2 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
<5%
3 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
4 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Zlín-Lešná Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Walsrode World Bird Park 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
3 Taman Safari Indonesia 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
4 Bronx Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
5 Khao Kheow Open Zoo 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity
6 Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden 🇮🇳 India In captivity
7 Safari World 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity
8 Selwo Aventura 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
9 Africam Safari 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
10 Mysore Zoo 🇮🇳 India In captivity
11 Jijamata Udyaan 🇮🇳 India In captivity
12 Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens 🇻🇳 Vietnam In captivity
13 Bandung Zoo 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
14 Thiruvananthapuram Zoo 🇮🇳 India In captivity
15 Chai Nat Bird Park 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity
16 Johor Zoo 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
17 Bangsaen Aquarium 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity
18 Lembang Park & Zoo 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity
19 Taman Safari Indonesia 2 🇮🇩 Indonesia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lesser Adjutant in Singapore?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Adjutant sighting in Singapore on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 266th most-seen of the 298 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lesser Adjutant in Singapore?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Adjutant in Singapore on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Lesser Adjutant?

Between 3 and 6 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lesser Adjutant sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Singapore the best place to see a Lesser Adjutant?

4th of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Lesser Adjutant sightings, Singapore ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam, about 20%), Guwahati (India, under 5%) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia, under 5%).

Where does the Lesser Adjutant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lesser Adjutant is recorded against all the birds logged in Singapore (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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