Marabou Stork - African Stork with Beautiful, Soft Feathers

The Marabou Stork is definitely an interesting stork, and it can only be found in Africa in the Sahara Desert or in the southern areas. It's definitely a fun sight to see especially since it has such a unique appearance. The Marabous Stork lives in aquatic, arid areas of Africa or are frequently found near landfills or fishing villages where there are plenty of food available.

The Marabous stork is generally a scavenger stork, and their diet primarily consists of carcasses of dead animals which they find lying around. This actually is a helpful impact on the environment as they help us decompose and rid of the dying and decomposing dead animals. This helps reduce the spread of diseases. Their diet is still very complicated and complex. For one, they will eat live prey like reptiles, fish, and locusts.

The Marabous Stork is not hard to identify as they are a large and unusual looking bird. They have long grey legs, and are about 1.5 meters tall. The upper part of the Marabou Stork is generally black or dark grey; however, their undersides are white. The neck and head of the Marabou Stork does not have any feathers; however, their bodies are covered with beautiful white feathers which are soft. Their beautiful, soft feathers were once collected, and used in the making of hats and scarves. They also have a red pouch which hangs from its neck which is used during courtship.

The Marabou storks are known as colonial breeders, and will gather together during courtship. Usually, they will reach sexual maturity by the age of four (keep in mind that their lifespan is normally 25 years), and will stay by their mate for life. The Marabou Storks will normally breed during the dry season in small nests which hold around two to three eggs. During the dry season, the water levels are low; thus, it is easier for the storks to catch the frogs and fish. To attract a mate, and during courtship, the marabou Storks will use the red pouches to make a noise.

The Marabou Storks are very interesting with an intriguing appearance. They are definitely an interesting sight. So far, their population amount may actually be increasing. The Marabou Storks are very valuable to the economy, and actually may not have any negative impact on the environment due to the fact that they help rid of decomposing carcasses which may cause diseases.