| Marabou stork | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Uganda | |
_in_flight_2.jpg)
| |
| Ethiopia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Ciconiiformes |
| Family: | Ciconiidae |
| Genus: | Leptoptilos |
| Species: | L. crumenifer
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leptoptilos crumenifer (Lesson, RP, 1831)
| |
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae native to sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially landfill sites. It is sometimes called the "undertaker bird" due to its shape from behind: cloak-like wings and back, skinny white legs, and sometimes a large white mass of "hair".[2][better source needed] It has often been credited with the largest wingspan of any land bird, with an average of 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) and some recorded examples of up to 3.2 metres (10 ft).[3]
- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Leptoptilos crumenifer". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697716A93633034. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697716A93633034.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Bancroft, Thomas (20 March 2020). "The Undertaker Bird – Enchanted by the Wild".
- ^ Mark Carwardine (2008). Animal Records. London: Sterling Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-4027-5623-8.