It’s hard to forget the first time you see a marabou stork because of how extremely unattractive it is. I spotted my first marabous in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, a group of them feasting on the dead remnants of what I believe was once an impala. It’s in the vulture family and because, like all vultures, it sticks its head into carcasses, the head and neck lack feathers (a practical feature because they would be impossible to clean). Its appearance is often likened to that of a cartoonish mortican, with black wings folded like a cloak, a bald head and thin peg legs.
The Marabou stork is a tall bird standing almost 5 ft (1.5 m) and weighing up to 20 lbs (9 kg). Its wingspan is almost 4 m (12 ft), the longest of any bird except for the Andean condor.
There are those who would argue that the bird is beautifully designed for its function and I can’t argue with that. But it sure is ugly.
