Scientific Name:
Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Distribution
Africa (from Sahara desert to South Africa)
Diet:
Carnivore. Carrion, scraps of fish, live fish, termites, locusts, frogs, lizards, snakes, rats, mice and birds
Facts
Habitat: Open dry savannas, grasslands, swamps, riverbanks, lake shores, receding pools where fish are concentrated
Incubation: 30 days, 2-3 eggs/season
Social structure: groups 20-60 individuals up to several thousands
Weight: max 9 kg
Dimensions: height: ~1,5 m, wingspan: ~2,6 m
Lifespan: 25 years , 44 years in human care
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Estimated population in the wild: Unknown, increasing
Threats: Hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria
Did you know that:
- The males, after establishing a territory and building a nest, attract the females by inflating the throat pouch, dancing and clattering the bill. When approached, males respond aggressively and females react submissively so that a bond might be established.
- They defecate on their legs in order to keep cool during the day, and that’s where they get the white color on their legs which are normally black. This is called urohydrosis.