Udawalawe reservoir wetland birdlife: painted stork nesting colonies on dead snags?

The vast open waters and dead-tree snags of Udawalawe reservoir provide prime wetland habitat for colonial waterbirds. During low-water dry season months, large flocks of Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala), Asian Openbills, and Black-headed Ibis congregate along receding muddy margins. Storks wade through shallow water, sweeping their half-open bills side-to-side to detect fish tactilely using sensitive bill-tip sensors. Standing dead timber snags flooded when the reservoir was created serve as secure communal nesting platforms safe from terrestrial carnivores.