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Marabou Stork
Leptoptilos crumenifer
Silhouette: Mike Keesey (vectorization) and Vaibhavcho (photography) · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCiconiiformes (Storks)
- FamilyCiconiidae (Storks)
- GenusLeptoptilos (Adjutants and Marabou)
- SpeciesLeptoptilos crumenifer (Marabou Stork)
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
173 Verified sightings at South Luangwa National Park From 2019 to 2026
15,464 In all 39 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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 →
Recent sightings of Marabou Stork in South Luangwa National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at South Luangwa National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Marabou Stork in South Luangwa National Park?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Marabou Stork sighting in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, based on 173 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 56th most-seen of the 257 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 South Luangwa National Park?
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Marabou Stork in South Luangwa National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April, the lowest month. That is one of South Luangwa National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 310 mm in January.
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 South Luangwa National Park the best place to see a Marabou Stork?
23rd of 39
Of the 39 parks where we can rate Marabou Stork sightings, South Luangwa National Park ranks 23rd 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 South Luangwa National Park?
Same family: Ciconiidae
The closest relatives of the Marabou Stork that you can see in South Luangwa National Park (family Ciconiidae, Storks) are Yellow-billed Stork (about 60%), Saddle-billed Stork (about 50%) and African Openbilled Stork (about 40%), 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 South Luangwa National Park (173 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.
