Range

Africa is the native home of the marabou stork. They can be found throughout Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Habitat

Marabou storks make their home on open savannas near swamps, river margins and lake shores. More often they are locating themselves near fishing villages where they can steal scraps.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs during the dry season. At this time water levels have dropped and birds and fish are easier to find. Birds will congregate in groups ranging from 20 pairs to several thousand. Males first come and establish a territory. Then he greets new comers with an inflated throat pouch. Soon he will accept a courting female into his territory. The pair then start to build their nest. This is constructed from sticks on a cliff side, in a tree or on top of buildings in villages. Into this nest two to three eggs will be deposited with a two to three day interval between each.

After 29-31 days the chicks will hatch. When they hatch they are covered in a grey down. It takes 13-15 weeks for them to be ready to fledge. Typically only one of the three chicks will make it to this stage.

Four years after birth the chicks will achieve sexual maturity. Only one in four chicks which fledge will breed.

Behavior

By inflating their air sac the marabou stork can display its dominance. It also helps in the thermoregulation of the bird.

Groups of marabou storks may number up to 1000 but an average number would be 40 to 120. These gather in the late afternoon at communal roosts. By morning they wait for the thermals to pick up before they take flight. The flock may undertake a small migration in the event their food sources run out.

By squirting excrement onto their legs the marabou stork is able to cool down. When they want to warm up they will spread out their wings.

During social displays they make a load croaking using their gular sack. By clapping the beak together rapidly they can show that they are feeling threatened.

In flight the marabou stork, unlike most other storks, flies with a retracted neck. This serves to put some of the weight of their large bill onto the shoulders.

Quick facts

In the past the feathers of the marabou stork were used to trim hats and gowns along with making scarves.

Due to their appearance from behind this bird is also known as the “undertaker bird.”

It is believed that their name comes from an Arabic word for quiet or hermit-like.