A stork with a large bill and little feathering on its head and neck. In Bangladesh it occurs around shallow wetlands, grassland and farmland.
Adults have a mostly bare head and neck, dark upperparts and pale underparts. Juveniles have more feathering and duller overall colours.
Lesser Adjutants breed in lowland Nepal’s agricultural landscapes, including tall trees near fields and settlements. These colonies show the importance of habitats outside formal reserves.
In 2019–2020, researchers monitored 65 active colonies with 206 active nests across five sites; 280 chicks fledged. Tree height was associated with colony-site selection and colony size.
The authors identified urban development and loss of suitable nesting trees as concerns. Retaining large trees and varied agricultural landscapes supports opportunities for breeding.
IUCN Red List (conservation institution account) · Near Threatened · Global
Urbanization of agricultural land and loss of large nesting trees are concerns. Community habitat protection has contributed to conservation, and BirdLife reported a change from Vulnerable to Near Threatened in 2023.