Yellow-billed Stork

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve?

Possible. About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Stork sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 210 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 106th most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve?

January, April and September. In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Yellow-billed Stork?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-billed Stork sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Samburu National Reserve the best place to see a Yellow-billed Stork?

23rd of 38. Of the 38 parks where we can rate Yellow-billed Stork sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 23rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 70%), South Luangwa National Park (Zambia, about 60%) and Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Yellow-billed Stork sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Yellow-billed Stork is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (210 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

Mycteria ibis

Silhouette: Mathieu Basille · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCiconiiformes (Storks)
FamilyCiconiidae (Storks)
GenusMycteria (Mycteria Storks)
SpeciesMycteria ibis (Yellow-billed Stork)

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

at Samburu National Reserve

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

210 Verified sightings at Samburu National Reserve From 2019 to 2026

12,256 In all 38 parks

April Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Yellow-billed Stork

The yellow-billed stork (Mycteria ibis) is a large African stork species in the family Ciconiidae. It is widespread south of the Sahara and also occurs in Madagascar. The yellow-billed stork lies within the genus Mycteria along with three other extant species: the wood stork (M. americana), the milky stork (M. cinerea) and the painted stork (M. leucocephala). Species within Mycteria display remarkable homologies in behavior (e.g., feeding and courtship) and morphology, with relatively few species-specific variations.

[[File:]] This medium-sized stork stands 90–105 cm (35–41 in) tall. Its body is white with a short black tail that is glossed green and purple when freshly moulted. The bill is deep yellow, slightly decurved at the end and with a rounder cross-section than in other stork species outside the Mycteria. Feathers extend onto the head and neck just behind the eyes, with the face and forehead being covered by deep red skin. Both sexes are similar in appearance, but the male is larger and has a slightly longer heavier bill. Males and females weigh approximately 2.3 kg (5.1 lb) and 1.9 kg (4.2 lb) respectively.

Colouration becomes... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:39

Kenya · 1997

Call0:51

Senegal · 2016

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 67 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
2	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~60%
3	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~50%
4	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~50%
5	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~50%
6	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
7	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~40%
8	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
9	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
10	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
11	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~30%
12	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
13	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
14	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~30%
15	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~30%
16	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
17	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
18	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
19	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
20	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
21	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
22	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
23	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
24	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
25	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
26	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
27	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
28	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
29	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
30	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
31	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
32	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
33	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
34	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
35	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
36	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
37	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
38	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~30%
2	Dar es-Salaam	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
3	Mombasa	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
4	Maputo	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
5	Kampala	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
6	Cape Town	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
7	Nairobi	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
8	Durban	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
3	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
4	SeaWorld Abu Dhabi	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
5	Dresden Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
6	Zlín-Lešná Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
7	Dvůr Králové Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
8	Zoo Pilsen	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
9	Réserve africaine de Sigean	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
10	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
11	Zoo de Doué	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
12	Abilene Zoological Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Sharjah Safari Park Office	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
14	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Beijing Wildlife Park	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
16	Al Ain Zoo	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
17	Safaripark Beekse Bergen	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
18	Living Desert Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Kansas City Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Badoca Safari Park	🇵🇹 Portugal	In captivity
22	Brookfield Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	Chimelong Safari Park	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
24	Beijing Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
25	Shanghai Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
26	Shenzhen Safari Park	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
27	江苏淹城野生动物世界	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
28	Oakland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
30	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	İzmir Wildlife Park	🇹🇷 Türkiye	In captivity
32	Selwo Aventura	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
33	Louisville Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
34	Luisenpark	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
35	Guangzhou Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
36	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
37	Temaikén	🇦🇷 Argentina	In captivity
38	Franklin Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Night Safari	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
40	ZooTampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Singapore Zoo	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
42	碧峰峡野生动物世界	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
43	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
44	Tierpark Hagenbeck	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
45	Hanover Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
46	Bird Paradise	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
47	Terra Natura Murcia	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
48	Rainforest Wild Asia	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
49	Seville Zoo	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
50	Shoushan Zoo	🇹🇼 Taiwan	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve

Leptoptilos crumenifer

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Ciconia microscelis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Anastomus lamelligerus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ciconia ciconia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ciconia abdimii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tockus erythrorhynchus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Lamprotornis superbus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Pternistis leucoscepus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Plocepasser mahali

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Dinemellia dinemelli

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Dicrurus adsimilis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Acryllium vulturinum

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Stork sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 210 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 106th most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve?

January, April and September

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a Yellow-billed Stork?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-billed Stork sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Samburu National Reserve the best place to see a Yellow-billed Stork?

23rd of 38

Of the 38 parks where we can rate Yellow-billed Stork sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 23rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 70%), South Luangwa National Park (Zambia, about 60%) and Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Yellow-billed Stork sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Yellow-billed Stork is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (210 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

← Back to Samburu National Reserve

Yellow-billed Stork

About the Yellow-billed Stork

Sounds

Recent sightings of Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Samburu National Reserve

Marabou Stork

African Woolly-necked Stork

African Openbilled Stork

White Stork

Abdim's Stork

Northern Red-billed Hornbill

Superb Starling

Yellow-necked Francolin

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

White-headed Buffalo-Weaver

Fork-tailed Drongo

Vulturine Guineafowl

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve?

When is the best time to see a Yellow-billed Stork in Samburu National Reserve?

What time of day is best to see a Yellow-billed Stork?

Is Samburu National Reserve the best place to see a Yellow-billed Stork?

Where does the Yellow-billed Stork sighting chance come from?