Nine nests of Woolly-necked Stork have been spotted at Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary in the breeding season of 2021.

The update was shared by BirdLife International Cambodia Programme recently, adding that of the nine nests discovered in 2021, 8 have confirmed success and 15 chicks successfully fledged, while one nest was failed due to human disturbance.

The number of nests and fledged chicks are the highest in 2021 compared to the previous breeding seasons.

Woolly-necked Stork is an endengered bird species listed on the IUCN Red List as near threatened and their global population is in decreasing trend.

This bird species is found breeding every year in Lumphat Wildlife Sanctuary. Their breeding season lasts from July to December, and they prefers to make nests at large trees, along rivers or streams.

The bird began to be recorded in the sanctuary in 2017, having 8 nests with only 5 fledged chicks.

The Woolly-necked Stork or White-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds singly, or in small loose colonies. It is distributed in a wide variety of habitats including marshes in forests, agricultural areas, and freshwater wetlands across Asia and Africa.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press