Leptoptilos crumeniferus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Bibliography

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CICONIIFORMES	CICONIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Leptoptilos crumeniferus

Species Authority:

(Lesson, 1831)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Marabou, Marabou Stork
French	–	Marabout d'Afrique

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Israel; Liberia; Spain
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Angola; Benin; Botswana; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Malawi; Mali; Mauritania; Mozambique; Namibia; Niger; Nigeria; Rwanda; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Israel; Liberia; Spain

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is sedentary or locally nomadic^{1, 2}. Populations in the north and south generally move towards the equator after breeding and other populations making dispersive movements in relation to water availablity¹ or prey abundance². In the tropics the species begins to breed in the dry season, but in the equatorial zone the timing of breeding is more variable¹. It breeds in colonies numbering from 20-60 up to several thousand pairs and often nests with other species¹. When not breeding the species often remains gregarious, feeding in groups and gathering at night in communal roosts of up to 1,000 individuals². It may also associate with herds of large mammals in order to catch insects disturbed by their movements¹. Habitat It inhabits open dry savannas, grasslands, swamps, riverbanks, lake shores and receding pools¹ where fish are concentrated², typically foraging in and around fishing villages¹. Diet Its diet consists predominantly of carrion and scraps of fish discarded by humans as well as live fish, termites, locusts, frogs, lizards, snakes, rats, mice and birds¹ (e.g. adult flamingoes Phoenicopterus spp.)³. Breeding site The nest is constructed of sticks¹ and is positioned 10-30 m above the ground in trees, on cliffs¹ or on buildings in towns and villages³. The species breeds colonially in single- or mixed-species groups¹, usually in close proximity (less than 50-60 km) to a reliable food source².
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is sedentary or locally nomadic^{1, 2}. Populations in the north and south generally move towards the equator after breeding and other populations making dispersive movements in relation to water availablity¹ or prey abundance². In the tropics the species begins to breed in the dry season, but in the equatorial zone the timing of breeding is more variable¹. It breeds in colonies numbering from 20-60 up to several thousand pairs and often nests with other species¹. When not breeding the species often remains gregarious, feeding in groups and gathering at night in communal roosts of up to 1,000 individuals². It may also associate with herds of large mammals in order to catch insects disturbed by their movements¹. Habitat It inhabits open dry savannas, grasslands, swamps, riverbanks, lake shores and receding pools¹ where fish are concentrated², typically foraging in and around fishing villages¹. Diet Its diet consists predominantly of carrion and scraps of fish discarded by humans as well as live fish, termites, locusts, frogs, lizards, snakes, rats, mice and birds¹ (e.g. adult flamingoes Phoenicopterus spp.)³. Breeding site The nest is constructed of sticks¹ and is positioned 10-30 m above the ground in trees, on cliffs¹ or on buildings in towns and villages³. The species breeds colonially in single- or mixed-species groups¹, usually in close proximity (less than 50-60 km) to a reliable food source².

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Utilisation This species is hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria⁴.

Major Threat(s):

Utilisation This species is hunted and traded at traditional medicine markets in Nigeria⁴.

Bibliography [top]

	Brown, L. H.; Urban, E. K.; Newman, K. 1982. The birds of Africa vol I. Academic Press, London. del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Hancock, J. A.; Kushlan, J. A.; Kahl, M. P. 1992. Storks, ibises and spoonbills of the world. Academic Press, London. Nikolaus, G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria. Malimbus 23: 45-55.

Brown, L. H.; Urban, E. K.; Newman, K. 1982. The birds of Africa vol I. Academic Press, London.

del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Hancock, J. A.; Kushlan, J. A.; Kahl, M. P. 1992. Storks, ibises and spoonbills of the world. Academic Press, London.

Nikolaus, G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria. Malimbus 23: 45-55.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Leptoptilos crumeniferus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided