The greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the lesser adjutant of Asia and the marabou stork of Africa. Once found widely across southern Asia and mainland southeast Asia, the greater adjutant is now restricted to a much smaller range with only three breeding populations; two in India, with the largest colony in Assam, a smaller one around Bhagalpur; and another breeding population in Cambodia. They disperse widely after the breeding season. This large stork has a massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head and a distinctive neck pouch. During the day, it soars in thermals along with vultures with whom it shares the habit of scavenging. They feed mainly on carrion and offal; however, they are opportunistic and will sometimes prey on vertebrates. The English name is derived from their stiff "military" gait when walking on the ground. Large numbers once lived in Asia, but they have declined (possibly due to improved sanitation) to the point of endangerment. The total population in 2008 was estimated at around a thousand individuals. In the 19th century, they were especially common in the city of Calcutta, where they were referred to as the "Calcutta adjutant" and included in the coat of arms for the city. Known locally as hargila (derived from the Assamese words "har" means bone and "gila" means swallower, thus "bone-swallower") and considered to be unclean birds, they were largely left undisturbed but sometimes hunted for the use of their meat in folk medicine. Valued as scavengers, they were once depicted in the logo of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
^BirdLife International. (2023). "Leptoptilos dubius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T22697721A229597779. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
^Cite error: The named reference fbi1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Jerdon, T. C. (1864). The Birds of India. Vol. 3. George Wyman and Co, Calcutta. pp. 730–732.
The greateradjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the lesser adjutant of Asia and the marabou...
from Assam, India. She is known for her conservation work with the greateradjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius), known locally as the Hargila. She is the...
processions in Kali Puja, an intangible cultural heritage of the region. Greateradjutant (Leptoptilos dubius), a member of the stork family, associated with...
where it is solitary and is less likely to scavenge than the related greateradjutant. It is a widespread species found from India through Southeast Asia...
Leptoptilos is a genus of very large tropical storks, commonly known as adjutants. The name means thin (lepto) feather (ptilos). Two species are resident...
stork species breed close to people, and species such as the marabou, greateradjutant, and white stork feed at landfill sites. Storks vary in their tendency...
intentional hunting. Four species of stork—the milky stork, oriental stork, greateradjutant, and Storm's stork—are classified as being endangered on the IUCN Red...
after him as the Garud Commando Force. It is often associated with the Greateradjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius). In Hinduism, Garuda is a divine eagle-like...
greateradjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) and the African marabou stork (L. crumeniferus), all of which weigh up to 8 to 9 kg (18 to 20 lb). The greater adjutant...
caoutchouc tree. Kamrup is home to one of the few large colonies of greateradjutant storks still in existence. The villagers previously regarded the birds...
around the neck". The species is now placed with the lesser adjutant and the greateradjutant in the genus Leptoptilos that Lesson had introduced at the...
People" (poem) "The Undertakers": A mugger crocodile, a jackal and a Greateradjutant stork, three of the most unpleasant characters on the river, spend...
white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer's pochard duck and lesser adjutant, greateradjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian openbill stork migrate from Central...
storks and cranes are also seen wintering in the park (lesser adjutant, greateradjutant, black-necked stork, Asian openbill). Kaziranga hosts a large...
white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer's pochard duck and lesser adjutant, greateradjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian openbill stork migrate from Central...
varieties of fish and birds. The lake is an important habitat for Greateradjutant, Cotton Pigmy Goose, Baya Weavers, Lesser whistling duck and Kingfisher...
white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer's pochard duck and lesser adjutant, greateradjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian openbill stork migrate from Central...
migratory birds that visit during the winter. Notable species include the greateradjutant stork, pelican, Siberian crane, and whistling teal. After dark, wild...
Argala may refer to: Greateradjutant, a member of the stork family, from its Bengali name hurghila José Miguel Beñaran Ordeñana, an assassinated Basque...
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