Marabou stork
Leptoptilos crumenifer
ok. 140 cmDorosły ptak
to the top of the head
to the top of the head
- Mass
- up to around 9 kgDorosłe osobniki
Marabou stork — size comparison
The marabou stork is a huge stork with a dark back, pale underparts and an almost bare head. It has a powerful bill and a hanging throat pouch used in displays.
Silhouette comparison
Height
Ground the top of the headReference values · details in the profiles
HeightScale in m
00,511,5
approx. 140 cm
The scale compares the named dimensions. View direction and measurement points are given for each animal.
Marabou stork — size comparison — facts and sources
The marabou stork is a huge stork with a dark back, pale underparts and an almost bare head. It has a powerful bill and a hanging throat pouch used in displays. It inhabits African wetlands and open country, locally also visiting settlements and rubbish dumps.
It eats carrion but also readily catches fish, insects and small vertebrates. Abundant food may attract gatherings with other birds competing for access. Broad wings allow prolonged circling on rising air.
It nests colonially, often in large trees near feeding areas. The throat pouch is not a fish store: prey enters the digestive tract, and young receive food brought and regurgitated by parents.
Marabut afrykański jest jednym z najwyższych bocianów. Łysa głowa i szyja ułatwiają mu żerowanie na padlinie, lecz chwyta też ryby, owady i małe kręgowce. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle podaje do 150 cm wysokości; plansza pokazuje reprezentatywne 140 cm.