saddle billed stork I | watercolour & ink

First artwork in the ‘Saddle Billed Stork’ series. 

The Saddle-billed Stork is one of Africa’s most striking wetland birds, instantly recognisable by its tall stature and vivid red-and-yellow bill. Males and females look similar, but are easily told apart by their eyes — females have bright yellow irises, while males have dark ones. They hunt by wading slowly through shallow water, watching for movement before striking with a quick, precise jab to catch fish, frogs, and small aquatic animals. Pairs usually mate for life and build large nests high in trees near water, sharing the work of raising their chicks. Graceful, solitary, and perfectly adapted to riverbanks and floodplains, the Saddle-billed Stork is one of the true icons of Africa’s waterways.