Marabou Stork
The marabou stork is unmistakable due to its size, bare head and neck, black back, and white underparts. It has a huge bill, a pink gular at its throat, a neck ruff, and black legs and wings. It is so large and heavy that its leg and toe bones are hollow to reduce weight during flight. The marabou stork defecates upon its legs and feet as a way to assist in regulating body temperature.
The marabou stork is a frequent scavenger, and the naked head and neck are adaptations to this, as a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other substances when the bird`s head was inside a large corpse. This large and powerful bird eats mainly carrion, scraps and feces, but will also take fish, frogs, insects, eggs, small mammals and reptiles such as crocodile hatchlings and eggs.
|
