Leptoptilos javanicus
Silhouette: Mike Keesey (vectorization) and Vaibhavcho (photography) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 →
Call1:00
Nepal · 2013
© Antero Lindholm · XC156243 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 4 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 8 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 9 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 11 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 12 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 13 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 14 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 15 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 17 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 18 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 19 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Guwahati | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Kuala Lumpur | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zlín-Lešná Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Taman Safari Indonesia | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Khao Kheow Open Zoo | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Safari World | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Selwo Aventura | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Africam Safari | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 10 | Mysore Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Jijamata Udyaan | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 13 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 14 | Thiruvananthapuram Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 15 | Chai Nat Bird Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 16 | Johor Zoo | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 17 | Bangsaen Aquarium | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 18 | Lembang Park & Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 19 | Taman Safari Indonesia 2 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Adjutant sighting in Udawalawe National Park on a given day, based on 63 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 110th most-seen of the 166 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Adjutant in Udawalawe National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, May and July, the lowest months.
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.
12th of 19
Of the 19 parks where we can rate Lesser Adjutant sightings, Udawalawe National Park ranks 12th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kaziranga National Park (India, about 70%), Sundarbans National Park (India, about 60%) and Chitwan National Park (Nepal, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Ciconiidae
The closest relatives of the Lesser Adjutant that you can see in Udawalawe National Park (family Ciconiidae, Storks) are Painted Stork (about 60%), Asian Woolly-necked Stork (about 30%) and Asian Openbill Stork (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Lesser Adjutant is recorded against all the birds logged in Udawalawe National Park (63 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.
