Marabou Stork
Leptoptilos crumenifer
The Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) is a uncommon stork found in 39 countries, weighing about 6.1 kg. The marabou stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa.
About the Marabou Stork
The marabou stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially landfill sites. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair". It has often been credited with the largest wingspan of any land bird, with an average of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) and some recorded examples of up to 3.2 metres (10 ft).
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The marabou stork is a massive bird: large specimens are thought to reach a height of 152 centimetres (5 feet) and a weight of 9 kg (20 lb). A wingspan of 3.7 m (12 ft) was accepted by Fisher and Peterson, who ranked the species as having the largest wing-spread of any living bird. Even higher measurements of up to 4.06 m (13.3 ft) have been reported, although no measurement over 3.20 m (10.5 ft) has been verified.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Spain, Djibouti, Mali, India, Portugal, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Germany.
When to see it
The Marabou Stork can be seen all year round, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Marabou Stork on live cams
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Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Marabou Stork?
- The marabou stork is a massive bird: large specimens are thought to reach a height of 152 centimetres (5 feet) and a weight of 9 kg (20 lb). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Marabou Stork?
- The Marabou Stork is a huge sized bird weighing about 6.1 kg.
- Where can you see a Marabou Stork?
- The Marabou Stork occurs in 39 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana.
- What birds look similar to a Marabou Stork?
- The Marabou Stork is most easily confused with the Lesser Adjutant and the Greater Adjutant.
- Is the Marabou Stork endangered?
- The Marabou Stork is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Marabou Stork for real
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