greater adjutantとは 意味・読み方・使い方

The Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) is a member of the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its genus includes the Lesser Adjutant of Asia and the Marabou Stork of Africa. Once found widely across southern Asia, mainly in India but extending east to Borneo, it is now restricted to a much smaller range with only two small breeding populations; in India with the largest colony in Assam and the other in Cambodia. Populations disperse after the breeding season. This large stork has a massive wedge-shaped bill, a bare head and a distinctive neck pouch. During the day, they soar in thermals along with vultures with whom they share the habit of scavenging. They feed mainly on carrion and offal; however, they are opportunistic and will sometimes prey on vertebrates. The English name is derived from their stiff "military" gait when walking on the ground. Large numbers once lived in Asia, but have declined greatly, possibly due to improved sanitation, to the point of being endangered. The total population in 2008 was estimated at around a thousand individuals. In the 19th century, they were especially common in the city of Calcutta, where they were referred to as the "Calcutta Adjutant". Known locally as Hargila (derived from the Sanskrit word for "bone-swallower") and considered to be unclean birds, they were largely left undisturbed but sometimes hunted for the use of their meat in folk medicine. Valued as scavengers, they were once used in the logo of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.