In typical stork style, the marabou’s long legs trail behind in flight. Common prey at this time may consist of fish, frogs, insects, eggs, small mammals, and reptiles such as crocodile hatchlings and eggs, and lizards and snakes. The average lifespan for a marabou stork in the wild is 25 years. It doesn’t stop there. This is a large, unusual looking bird thanks to its long-legs, long-neck and bare throat sac. Inhabiting diverse landscapes from dry savannas to swamps and lakeshores.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'africafreak_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_9',146,'0','0'])); The African storks may be one of the ugliest animals in Africa, but they are fascinating creatures and crucial to the environment.

These birds are wide spread and can be found throughout Africa south of the Sahara. These large birds are mostly solitary or in small groups but large groups can be seen near sources of food, while migrating or during the breeding season. The stork uses the pouch to show dominance. In nature, commensalism is the result of one organism benefiting and another organism neither being benefited or harmed as the result of a relationship. But won’t say no to pigeons, doves, and queleas. These birds have been known to feed on adult flamingoes. © 2020 Africa Freak | All Rights Reserved. Overall, currently, Marabou storks are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are increasing. Although it doesn’t seem to be very sympathetic in human eyes, this behaviour is of great importance to the ecosystem they inhabit by removing carcasses and rotting material. They rush towards fires, marching just in front of the flames to snatch up fleeing animals. They breed in colonies, starting during the dry season when food is more readily available as the pools shrink. This guy defecates on himself, a habit called uro-hidrosis. These birds are also frequent visitors to landfills and fishing villages. The bird may not be colorful and vibrant with a beautiful song. They prefer to inhabit open dry savannah, grasslands, swamps, riverbanks, lake shores, and receding pools where fish are concentrated. The stork uses the pouch to show dominance .

Being in the presence of this dramatically dark bird is quite eery and so the best possible advice I can give you is to photograph this bird in a moody scene as seen below because they will both compliment each other. But there is so much more to the bird than what meets the eye. This is not just a gross habit, but a scientific process called urohidrosis practiced by many birds. It’s because their dark grey backs makes it look like the large bird is wearing a Grim Reaper worthy cloak. Marabou storks are social birds and often gather in groups near lakes or rivers. The pouch also aids in thermoregulation, helping to maintain body temperature. Marabous can help to avoid the spreading of pathogens. It is not used for food storage but is most noticeable during the breeding season. Though Marabou storks eat putrid and seemingly inedible foods, they may sometimes wash food in water to remove soil. Marabou storks are frequent scavengers, and the naked head and long neck are adaptations to this livelihood; same as with the vultures with which these birds often feed. It uses its strong bill to rip apart and eat the carcass.

Hats and shoes since the 18th-century have trimmings and adornments made with marabou down feathers. In fact, they don’t even have voice boxes. They are generally silent but may sometimes make grunts, croak with their throat sac or rattle their bills. Taking these measurements into consideration, you would think this large bird would be quite heavy but surprisingly only weigh up to 9 kg (20 lbs). Once hatched, the chick won’t reach maturity until four years old, which is pretty old for a bird. If you look closely it may seem as if their heads are rotting. Without the help of the stork, the bees would rarely happen upon carcasses suitable for this function.

CITES: Not listed These large and powerful birds eat mainly carrion, scraps, and feces but will opportunistically eat almost any animal matter they can swallow. If these birds, along with vultures, didn’t eat rotting carcasses and other decaying materials, this matter would be ripe for bacteria and other disease-causing agents. And how can they be saved? These birds are scavengers, they eat anything from termites, flamingoes and small birds and mammals to human refuse and dead elephants. The marabou stork and bee relationship: The relationship between the marabou stork and bee is a relatively simple one that exists in the wild. Due to its massive size, the marabou stork has a special physiological adaption which makes it possible to fly. And gobble they do. The total population size is very large with at least 10,000 mature individuals. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Most importantly, the marabou stork plays a crucial role in the ecology and conservation of its African habitat. Sexes are alike in coloration and are both bare, dull and have a red-spotted heads with long black legs. According to the Oiseaux-birds resource, the total population size of this species was 200,000/500,000 individuals in 2006. On the other hand, the bill-clapping is most conspicuous when the stork feels threatened. According to the Environmental Information Service Namibia research, the total population size of the Marabou stork is around 100,000-300,000 individuals.

The male and the female are alike, but the young bird is browner and has a smaller bill. The dark plumage which contrasts with the white feathers on the underside of its body looks like a cloak draped over the marabou bird. Increasingly, marabous have become dependent on human garbage and hundreds of these huge birds are seen around African dumps or waiting for a hand out in urban areas.

While morbid, it’s a genius plan for catching dinner. By four-years the full plumage will have grown in and then the youngsters leave their parents to look for mates of their own. However, when marabous want to warm up they spread out their wings. They live in both wet and arid habitats and can be found in open dry savannas, grasslands, riverbanks, lakeshores, and swamps. The lack of feathers and fluff on its head is extremely important in preventing infections. The 18-inch gular sac is a distinctive, and a rather unattractive feature of the marabou stork. They kill, steal, and scavenge to find the 1.6lbs of food that they require per day. During the breeding season, adult marabous take mostly small, live prey since nestlings need this kind of food to survive. Their disgusting habits play an integral part in Africa’s ecosystem by aiding in reducing the spread of diseases. The population appears to be increasing and is not severely fragmented.

The pouch is a disturbing 18 inches long and connects to the left nostril, allowing the bird to make a guttural, croaking noise to woo potential mates. If you thought your friend who doesn’t wash her hands after using the restroom was gross, wait until you hear about the Marabou stork’s bathroom habits. To receive news, updates and tour packages via email. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog, I trust you learnt a little more about this odd looking bird and hopefully also changed your perspective around it. All of which contribute to the fascinating role of the stork in the African ecosystem. In both cases, a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other substances when the bird's head was inside a large corpse, and the bare head is easier to keep clean. Marabou storks, as with most bird species, mate for life, which is adorable; but the methods these birds use to attract their mates are anything but adorable.

They share a commensalism relationship with bees. Marabou storks are scavengers and feed mainly on carrion.