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Marabou Stork

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park?

Possible. About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Marabou Stork sighting in Pendjari National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 15 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park?

March–April and November. In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February and May, the lowest months. Those are among Pendjari National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in August.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Marabou Stork?

Between 2 and 5 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Marabou Stork sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Pendjari National Park the best place to see a Marabou Stork?

20th of 40. Of the 40 parks where we can rate Marabou Stork sightings, Pendjari National Park ranks 20th at about 30%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 70%), Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 50%) and Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Q: Which relatives of the Marabou Stork live in Pendjari National Park?

Same family: Ciconiidae. The closest relatives of the Marabou Stork that you can see in Pendjari National Park (family Ciconiidae, Storks) are Saddle-billed Stork (about 30%) and African Woolly-necked Stork (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Marabou Stork sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Marabou Stork is recorded against all the birds logged in Pendjari National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Leptoptilos crumenifer

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LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCiconiiformes (Storks)
FamilyCiconiidae (Storks)
GenusLeptoptilos (Adjutants and Marabou)
SpeciesLeptoptilos crumenifer (Marabou Stork)

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

at Pendjari National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

9 Verified sightings at Pendjari National Park From 2019 to 2026

15,473 In all 40 parks

November Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Animal challenge The Ugly Five AfricaMedium

About the Marabou Stork

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". 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).

The marabou stork was formally described in 1831 by the French naturalist René Lesson. He placed it in the stork genus Ciconia and coined the binomial name Ciconia crumenifera. He specified that locality as Senegal. The species epithet means "carrying a purse around the neck". The species is now placed with the lesser adjutant and the greater adjutant in the genus Leptoptilos that Lesson had introduced at the same time he described the marabou stork. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

The common name marabou is thought to be derived from the Arabic word murābit meaning quiet or hermit-like. The species...

Wikipedia →

Sounds

Wingflap and strange sound0:04

Ethiopia · 2019

Call0:49

Ethiopia · 2015

Call1:02

Ethiopia · 2015

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 156 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
2	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
3	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
4	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
5	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
6	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~40%
7	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
8	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
9	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
10	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~30%
11	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
12	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~30%
13	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~30%
14	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
15	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
16	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~30%
17	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
18	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
19	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
20	Pendjari National Park	🇧🇯 Benin	~30%
21	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
22	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
23	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
24	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~30%
25	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~30%
26	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~20%
27	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
28	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~20%
29	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
30	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
31	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
32	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
33	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
34	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~10%
35	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
36	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
37	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
38	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
39	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
40	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Kampala	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
2	Nairobi	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
3	Addis Ababa	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~20%
4	N'Djamena	🇹🇩 Chad	~10%
5	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	<5%
6	Harare	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Busch Gardens Tampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	San Diego Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Moscow Zoo	🇷🇺 Russia	In captivity
5	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
6	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
7	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
8	Cleveland Metroparks Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
9	California Academy of Sciences	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Dvůr Králové Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
11	Paris Zoological Park	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
12	Réserve africaine de Sigean	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
13	Jihlava Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
14	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
15	Zoo Hluboka	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
16	Abilene Zoological Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Yekaterinburg Zoo	🇷🇺 Russia	In captivity
18	Aquarium du palais de la Porte Dorée	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
19	Silver Springs	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Whipsnade Zoo	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
23	Al Ain Zoo	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
24	Safaripark Beekse Bergen	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
25	African Lion Safari	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
26	Toronto Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
27	Minnesota Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
28	Living Desert Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Poznań Nowe Zoo	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
30	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	Haute Touche Zoological Park	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
32	Parc du Belvédère	🇹🇳 Tunisia	In captivity
33	Badoca Safari Park	🇵🇹 Portugal	In captivity
34	Ramat Gan Safari	🇮🇱 Israel	In captivity
35	Tallinn Zoo	🇪🇪 Estonia	In captivity
36	Chimelong Safari Park	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
37	Baton Rouge Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
38	Parc zoologique de Montpellier	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
39	Beijing Zoo	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
40	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Shenzhen Safari Park	🇨🇳 China	In captivity
42	Safari World	🇹🇭 Thailand	In captivity
43	Zoo and Botanical Garden of Branféré	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
44	Johannesburg Zoo	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
45	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
46	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
47	Greater Vancouver Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
48	Silesian Zoological Garden	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
49	Kano Zoo	🇳🇬 Nigeria	In captivity
50	Rostock Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Pendjari National Park

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Ciconia microscelis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Ardea cinerea

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Terathopius ecaudatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Neotis denhami

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Merops nubicus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Coracias abyssinicus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Haliaeetus vocifer

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Emberiza goslingi

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Uraeginthus bengalus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Milvus migrans

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Streptopelia vinacea

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Marabou Stork sighting in Pendjari National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 15 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park?

March–April and November

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February and May, the lowest months. Those are among Pendjari National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Marabou Stork?

Between 2 and 5 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Marabou Stork sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Pendjari National Park the best place to see a Marabou Stork?

20th of 40

Of the 40 parks where we can rate Marabou Stork sightings, Pendjari National Park ranks 20th at about 30%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 70%), Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 50%) and Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Marabou Stork live in Pendjari National Park?

Same family: Ciconiidae

The closest relatives of the Marabou Stork that you can see in Pendjari National Park (family Ciconiidae, Storks) are Saddle-billed Stork (about 30%) and African Woolly-necked Stork (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Marabou Stork sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Marabou Stork is recorded against all the birds logged in Pendjari National Park (9 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Pendjari National Park

Marabou Stork

About the Marabou Stork

Sounds

Recent sightings of Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Pendjari National Park

Saddle-billed Stork

African Woolly-necked Stork

Grey Heron

Bateleur

Denham's Bustard

Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Abyssinian Roller

African Fish-Eagle

Gosling's Bunting

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Black Kite

Vinaceous Dove

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park?

When is the best time to see a Marabou Stork in Pendjari National Park?

What time of day is best to see a Marabou Stork?

Is Pendjari National Park the best place to see a Marabou Stork?

Which relatives of the Marabou Stork live in Pendjari National Park?

Where does the Marabou Stork sighting chance come from?