A large stork that uses forests and wetlands. Many populations migrate seasonally, while some, including those in southern Africa, remain in the same area.
Adults have glossy black plumage, a white belly, and a long red bill and legs.
It is often alone or in pairs, but may gather during migration and at rich feeding sites. It commonly nests in trees and takes fish and other small animals from shallow water.
In southern Africa both sexes build a platform of sticks and dry plant material, typically on a cliff ledge. They share incubation of two to five eggs for about 35–36 days.
In southern Africa both parents feed the chicks, which leave the nest at about 63–71 days and become independent roughly two weeks later.
Young birds have less richly coloured plumage than adults.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.