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Doug J | all galleries >> Birds, Birds, Birds >> Non-passeriformes Gallery > Marabou Stork
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Marabou Stork

Scientific name: Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Order: Ciconiiformes

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The Marabou Stork is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, occurring in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips. 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."

The Marabou Stork is a frequent scavenger, and the naked head and neck are adaptations to this, as it is with the vultures with which the stork often feeds. In both cases, a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other

Canon EOS 10D ,Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/2000s f/5.0 at 280mm (EF 70-200mm + EF 1.4x TC) iso400 with Flash full exif

other sizes: small medium original auto
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