When the Marabou stork is not living near human settlement garbage sites, it is out in the savannas where they are often seen scavenging with other scavengers. Often the marabou stork has to stand around and wait for the vultures (as they usually arrive before the hyenas, jackals and other scavengers), to rip open the carcass with their specially designed beaks. The marabou does not have any means to tear open a carcass by ripping its skin open — it has no powerful jaws or ‘meat-ripping’ beak. So, the marabou has to wait, and once open they can then feast on the flesh and internal bits.
- This large bird is great for cleaning up carcass sites, as they often walk around and pick up the scraps that have fallen, or similar, from beaks or mouths.
Most birds are always pretty… I guess looks do not matter, when you have such an important job, like the vultures.
The Marabou stork often feeds on carrion — dead and rotting meat. By doing this, they are stopping the spread of diseases and germs that make us and livestock sick and bring death.
