Bird of the Week

My picture frame got stuck on this picture, so I get the message.  The Marabou stork is the "bird of the week".  Taken in Tanzania, these big birds are daunting to look at, but actually are very beneficial.  That's how I try to be at work.  Well, I'm not very big, but I try to look the part (clean and mean?) to teach my students the importance of learning.  Well, I don't want to be known as an undertaker.  That wouldn't be a very good message in my job.  I don't want to bury my students - I want to bring them to life.  And, I'm not bald yet, though I do have much less hair than I had in my younger days.  Oh, and there's my husband helping me at my job.  He comes in once a week.  It's always nice to have another set of feet (or hands) and eyes. 

Marabou Stork

Because of its daunting and sinister appearance, people often refer to the Marabou stork as the "undertaker bird." It is a massive wading bird with grayish-brown eyes, a bald, spotty, scruffy head, a huge bill, skinny white legs, cloak-like wings and dark, flimsy feathers spread out across its head and neck. It can reach a height of 60 inches and may weigh as heavy as 20 pounds.
The Marabou Stork is known to be a voracious breeder and they usually build their nests in trees in Africa during the dry season. They are also called scavenger birds and are known to eat a variety of animals, whether dead or alive. They commonly feed on small mammals and reptiles. Some marabou storks have been seen preying on caterpillars, rodents, doves and even crocodile eggs.
These predators are found across tropical Africa. They have been located breeding in the South of the Sahara. They like to stay in wet and humid environments, such as land patches near lakes and rivers. The Marabou Stork prefers to fly over areas where their potential prey can be found. This is why they are commonly seen flying and resting in slaughterhouses, fishponds and waste dumps.
Marabou storks may look scary but they are very beneficial to the environment. They aid in speeding the decomposition process by feeding on rotting carcasses. They can break down even the thick hides of large animals because they have very strong beaks. The Marabou Stork is an essential predator and are themselves prey to other bigger carnivores.