Marabou storks may be a bit of an eye-sore, but even their ugliness has a function. However, they usually stick low to the ground as their main function for flying is to seek out a meal to scavenge. They can fly up to heights of an impressive 13 000 feet. This is essential for flight as the bird is not very heavy. However, unlike other storks, the marabou keeps its neck tucked and bent so that the shoulders support the weight of the beak.ĭue to its massive size, the marabou stork has a special physiological adaption which makes it possible to fly. In typical stork style, the marabou’s long legs trail behind in flight. But it is an elegant sight when it takes flight. The bird may not be colorful and vibrant with a beautiful song. With an impressive wingspan between 7 to 9 feet. The marabou stork is one of the largest flying birds and certainly the largest flying stork. If the stork didn’t act as a garbage collector of rotting carcasses, bacteria and disease would fester in the scraps. In addition, clearing away the dead and decaying matter is crucial for preventing the spread of pathogens. This also allows weaker scavengers to make a meal out of the carcass. The storks speed up the decomposition process by breaking through thick animal hides with their strong beaks. The Garbage Collector’s Environmental Importanceīefore you write off the marabou stork as a nightmare bird, it’s important to understand the critical part that it plays in ecology and conservation.įeeding on carrion and scraps seems like a horrific trait but this dietary inclination for dead matter helps the ecosystem in a number of ways. The storks can swallow an astounding 2lbs of meat in a single swallow! 3. But won’t say no to pigeons, doves, and queleas.Īnd gobble they do. The marabous will eat other birds too – particularly baby flamingos. The birds steal eggs from nests, devour the remains of carcasses, and gobble up human trash from dumps. In fact, even inanimate objects are acceptable. They kill, steal, and scavenge to find the 1.6lbs of food that they require per day.ĭead or alive makes no difference to the storks. Their diet consists mostly of carrion (decaying flesh), fish, termites, locusts, frogs, lizards, baby crocodiles, snakes, rats, mice, and birds. The birds are Africa’s vacuum cleaner, gulping discarded animal remains and even garbage.

Leftovers on the Menu for the African Stork The sheer size of the bird and its cloak-like feathers are eerily similar to the image of a grim reaper. The dark plumage which contrasts with the white feathers on the underside of its body looks like a cloak draped over the marabou bird. However, the colors of the bird’s feathers and its shape from behind are a more literal reason for its creepy name. Some equate the marabou’s attraction to dead bodies with that of an undertaker.

Even their white legs are such a shade because they’re known for excreting all over themselves.Īll of these unattractive features have boosted the stork into the unfortunate first place as the ugliest bird. These African storks are an eye-sore, with their scabby pink faces, featherless heads, and bulbous throat sac. The African storks may be one of the ugliest animals in Africa, but they are fascinating creatures and crucial to the environment.Ĭheck out 10 awesome marabou stork facts. Inhabiting diverse landscapes from dry savannas to swamps and lakeshores. Widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, marabous have a large range. The marabou’s sickly appearance and unbecoming habits have earned it names such as the undertaker bird, and the nightmare bird. So, God decided to use all the leftover bird parts to create the unsightly marabou stork. According to African legend, God ran out of animal parts while producing the creatures of Africa.

Shoebill bird noise