This large stork lives south of the Sahara in Africa. It scavenges in grasslands and savannas and may also search for food around villages and rubbish dumps. Sparse head and neck feathers and a large throat pouch give it a distinctive profile.
Its plumage is grey, with sparse feathers on the head and neck. A large, exposed pink throat pouch is conspicuous; the bare head and neck help it feed from carcasses.
Marabou Storks eat carrion, aquatic animals and human food waste across African landscapes. Their broad diet brings them near settlements as well as natural habitats.
They breed colonially in tall trees near water, sometimes renovating nests across years. Both parents incubate and regurgitate food for their chicks.
Scavenging links them to ecosystem processes, while environmental changes and pesticides can affect the birds. Whipsnade uses its birds to explain the species’ ecological role.
IUCN Red List (conservation institution account) · Least Concern · Global
Environmental alteration, pesticides and local hunting for traditional medicine are pressures. Conservation education explains the species’ scavenging role and ecosystem connections.