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Project Noah Nature School
Leptoptilos crumeniferus
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 substances when the bird's head was inside a large corpse, and the bare head is easier to keep clean.
Spotted on Aug 23, 2011
Submitted on Aug 23, 2011
4 Comments
ha ha Carolina! So did I the first time I saw them. They are not the most attractive of birds!
That's really interesting, I thought he was just sick.
Thanks for the comment Daniel.
Great shots and information!