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Asian Openbills Favoured Certain Tree Species for Nesting Even When Others Were More Common in Urban Bihar

Asian openbill standing on its nest
Research · Ecology

A survey of Asian openbills (Anastomus oscitans) in Aurangabad, Bihar, India, found that the birds did not use available tree species for nesting in proportion to how common those trees were. During the onset of the breeding season in July, the researcher recorded 250 nests and 618 adult birds across 219 trees representing 11 species.

Cordia myxa had the highest nest concentration, with eight nests on just two available trees, or 4.00 nests per tree. Ficus benghalensis had 31 nests on nine trees, while sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) held 42 nests on 18 trees. When the researcher also accounted for how many trees of each species were available, Cordia myxa and Ficus benghalensis showed the strongest positive selection, and Ficus religiosa was also used more often than expected.

Several common tree species were used much less heavily. Polyalthia longifolia was the most abundant tree in the survey, with 52 individuals, but supported only 23 nests and was underused relative to its availability. Neolamarckia cadamba and Peltophorum pterocarpum were also used less than expected. The results show that tree abundance alone did not determine where Asian openbills nested.

The study did not measure tree height, canopy area, trunk diameter, branch architecture or other structural traits, so it cannot show that large size or broad canopies caused the observed preferences. The author nevertheless argues that established nest-bearing trees and suitable mature trees should be retained in urban planning, while longer-term monitoring is needed to see whether the same nesting patterns persist across breeding seasons.

Sources and image credit

  1. Ghosh, A. (2026). Preference of nesting habitat in Asian Openbill Stork (Anastomus oscitans) in an urbanizing environment: Evidence from in and around Dr. Rajendra Prasad Children's Park, Aurangabad, Bihar, India. Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology, 25(8), 333–343. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajee/2026/v25i81002Primary peer-reviewed article published 14 August 2026. The July survey covered 219 trees from 11 species and recorded 250 Asian openbill nests and 618 adult birds. Nest density differed among tree species, with Cordia myxa averaging 4.00 nests per tree and Ficus religiosa 2.33.

Image: Asian openbill on a stick nest, photographed 18 May 2018. Photo: วิชิต กองคำ / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Representative nesting image; not a bird or nest from the Aurangabad study. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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