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A marabou stork with a bald pinkish head, a hanging throat pouch and dark wings standing on grass.
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Marabou Stork

Leptoptilos crumenifer

A huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.

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About the Marabou Stork

Marabou storks live across Africa between the Sahara Desert and South Africa. They stand about 5 feet tall on long grey legs. Marabous are scavengers: they mostly eat the bodies of animals that have already died, but they also catch fish, reptiles and locusts. They often gather in groups near lakes and rivers, and even near garbage dumps and fishing villages.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Leptoptilos crumenifer[2]
Size
About 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.[1]
Weight
About 9 kg (20 pounds).[1]
Lifespan
Up to 25 years in the wild.[1]
Diet
Scavenger. Mostly carcasses of dead animals, plus fish, reptiles and locusts.[1]
Habitat
Savannas and dry regions, often near lakes, rivers, landfills and fishing villages.[1]
Where it lives
Africa, between the Sahara Desert and South Africa.[1]
Group life
Often gathers in groups and nests in colonies.[1]
Babies
Two or three eggs, incubated for about 30 days, in a small nest of sticks.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024).[2]

Fun facts

  • A marabou stork's head and neck have no feathers at all.[1]
  • The long, reddish pouch hanging from its neck is used to show off during courtship.[1]
  • Marabou storks grunt, croak or rattle their bills to communicate.[1]
  • Marabou storks usually mate for life.[1]

Vocabulary

scavenger
An animal that feeds on dead animals or leftover food.
carcass
The body of a dead animal.
colony
A large group of animals of one kind that live or nest close together.
courtship
Behavior animals use to attract a mate.
incubate
To keep eggs warm so the babies inside can grow and hatch.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Leptoptilos crumeniferus (marabou).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Leptoptilos_crumeniferus/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Leptoptilos crumenifer (Marabou Stork).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697716/268372173 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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