Yellow billed stork. Guests view some of our region’s 450 bird species.

This beautiful yellow billed stork is seen in and around Leopard Walk Lodge Elephant Coast

This beautiful Stork is one of the many wetland bird species found in our environs. Adjacent to our reserve is our World Natural Heritage Site, Lake St. Lucia of the Elephant Coast. Here more than 450 bird species are found and it has been recorded that Leopard Walk Lodge has more than 250 of these species.

The yellow billed stork – Mycteria ibis – is also referred to as a wood stork and it is often seen wading in the shallows of wetlands with its colourful yellow beak and pink tinged feathers. Their legs darken to a deep red during breeding season when they build nests of sticks in trees near to water. Like a number of other birds, both the male and female nest on the eggs sharing responsibility of hatching their young that they then also both feed. Visitors enjoy the myriad bird species that include pelican and flamingo together with the many other wetland birds in our environs.