Jabiru stork

Description

The jabiru (/ˌdʒæbɪˈruː/ or /ˈdʒæbɪruː/;Latin: Jabiru mycteria) is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina,except west of the Andes.It is most common in the Pantanal region of Brazil and the Eastern Chaco region of Paraguay.It is the only member of the genus Jabiru.The name comes from a Tupi–Guaraní language and means "swollen neck".The jabiru is the tallest flying bird found in South America and Central America,often standing nearly the same height as the flightless and thus much heavier American rhea.For the continent,it also has the second largest wingspan,after the Andean condor (that is,excluding the great albatross occasionally found off the coast of southern South America).The adult jabiru is 120–140 cm (47–55 in) long,2.3–2.8 m (7.5–9.2 ft) across the wings,and can weigh 4.3–9 kg (9.5–19.8 lb).Sexual dimorphism is high,possibly the highest of any stork,with males being about 25% larger than females.Males weigh an average of 6.89 kg (15.2 lb) whereas females weigh an average of 5.22 kg (11.5 lb).Large males may stand as tall as 1.53 m (5.0 ft).The beak,which measures 25–35 cm (9.8–13.8 in),is black and broad,slightly upturned,ending in a sharp point.Among other standard measurements,the tail measures 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in),the tarsus measures 28.5–39 cm (11.2–15.4 in) long and the wing chord measures 58.5–73 cm (23.0–28.7 in).The plumage is mostly white,but the head and upper neck are featherless and black,with a featherless red stretchable pouch at the base.The sexes are similar in appearance but the male is larger,which can be noticeable when the sexes are together.While it can give the impression of being an ungainly bird on the ground,the jabiru is a powerful and graceful flier.