The large flock landed on open land on Soi Ya-Nui, immediately sparking fascination from bird watchers and anxiety from local chicken farmers, who worried that the storks might be carrying bird ’flu.
A team from the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office therefore went to check out the visitors. A spokesman announced that the team could see no immediate impact on local livestock, but added that they would keep an eye on the situation.
He told The Phuket News, “We think the birds are passing through looking for a good source of food. We expect they will move on out of Phuket.” Yesterday (December 18) at about 10am the “tourists” did just that, taking off en masse and leaving Phuket.
Asian openbills are largish birds, standing about 70 cm tall. Their main food source is mollusks which they find in shallow water and crack with their powerful bills. Their range extends across the Indian subcontinent and large parts of southeast Asia, though not usually as far south as Phuket.