Partly because of their demeanour and partly for their eating habits, Marabou Storks (Leptoptilos crumenifer) are sometimes nicknamed the ‘undertaker bird’. Like undertakers, they provide a vital service and are very much the savannah carcass cleanup crew – often eating the scraps left behind by the vultures! And, like the vultures, their eating habits of devouring what’s left, also helps to prevent the spread of disease from rotting carcasses etc. Despite the food preference of the adults however, the young birds require live prey when born and this can include other birds, chicks, eggs, small amphibians etc. If you happen to see one coming in to land nearby, you might want to give it a wide berth – they are large birds, standing between 3 to 4 metres high, with a wingspan to match.
