Asian Openbill

This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Anastomus oscitans

Malay Name: Upih-Siput Asia

Chinese Name: 钳嘴鹳

Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to mainland Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 68-81 cm

Identification: Adult has diagnostic dull yellowish-grey bill with open spaces between mandibles and long pinkish-grey legs. Body is mostly greyish-white with contrasting glossy black flight feathers and tail. Juvenile likes adult but body more brownish grey and bill has no spaces between mandibles.

Habitat: Freshwater marshes, flooded fields and padi fields.

Behaviour/Ecology: A small flock of 6 adults were observed feeding on Golden Apple Snails (an introduced species) at a flooded field along West Camp Road.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Jul 2023, Aug 2023, Sep 2023, Oct 2023, Dec 2023, Jan 2024, Feb 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2013 to Jun 2023 (all records)
Peak week Jan 15-Jan 21
Early date 29 Jul 2023
Late date 17 May 2020
Bar chart not displayed for this species; the large influx in late 2019 with birds lingering behind into 2021, means a bar chart is not a proper representation of this species's abundance.
A massive influx of this species in Dec 2019 was one of the most interesting events in recent Singapore birding history.
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Asian Openbill at West Camp Road. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Asian Openbill)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Anastomus oscitans. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697661A93628985.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Asian Openbill. Retrieved on April 12, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/asian-openbill.

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