Australia's only native stork, the jabiru or black-necked stork (
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), is widespread across the north of the continent. It also occurs in southern and eastern Asia. Its numbers have declined to such an extent that the IUCN classifies the species as near threatened. Estimates of the
jabiru population in Australia vary from 10,000 to 20,000 breeding individuals. If that sounds like a decent number, this might change the perspective: that represents between one third and two thirds of the world's breeding population.
Jabirus are often shy and reluctant to hang around places with people. These two (and their unphotographed neighbour) seemed happy enough on the foreshore at Cairns. Or maybe they were just tolerant.
Dawn on the foreshore from my balcony ...
From the Esplanade ...
