Order: Ciconiiformes, Family: Ciconiidae
Marabou Stork
Leptoptilos crumenifer
A massive stork with a bald, pinkish head, a long heavy bill, a dangling throat pouch, and a stark black-and-white body. Often seen standing motionless near water or scavengers at carcasses.
Explore Marabou Stork in the encyclopedia →Identify your own birds.
Get a report just like this from any photo or call, free.
Plumage & appearance
Adults have dark grey-black backs and wings, contrasting white underparts, a bare pinkish head, and a large inflatable throat pouch. Juveniles are duller with more brownish plumage and smaller throat sacs.
Key field marks
Massive size, bare pink head and neck, inflatable throat pouch (gular sac), huge wedge-shaped bill, and dark upperparts contrasting with white underparts.
Size & weight
Length: 152 cm (60 in); Wingspan: 225-287 cm (89-113 in); Weight: 4.5-9 kg (10-20 lbs)
Voice — call & song
Generally silent, but produces croaking, gurgling sounds and bill-clattering during courtship displays.
Diet & foraging
Primarily a scavenger eating carrion, but actively preys on termites, frogs, lizards, rodents, and small birds.
Habitat
Open wetlands, grasslands, savannas, and human-altered landscapes such as rubbish tips and agricultural fields.
Migration & movement
Mainly resident with some regional nomadic movements depending on rainfall and food availability.
Nesting & breeding
Builds large stick nests in tall trees or on cliffs, laying 2 to 3 eggs, with both parents sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties.
Similar species
Greater adjutant and Lesser adjutant, but those are Asian species; within Africa, its unique bald head and throat sac make it unmistakable.
Ecological significance
Acts as an important scavenger, helping to clean up carrion and prevent the spread of disease alongside vultures.
Conservation status
Least Concern, though local populations face threats from habitat loss and poisoning.
Observation tips
Look near wetlands, grasslands, and especially around rubbish dumps, slaughterhouses, and lion kills where scavenging birds congregate.
Interesting facts
Often called the 'undertaker bird' due to its cape-like wings, hunched posture, and association with death and carrion.
More like this
