Zimbabwe - Vultures and storks

Hooded vultures, White-backed vultures and Marabou storks near Victoria Falls

110. Hooded Vulture

Bare-skinned face that is white or scarlet when agitated because of high temperature.

111. White-backed vulture 

The most common vulture in the savannah. Usually blackish face and neck, with the rest of the body varying from brown to buff to streaked. 

 

 

 

 

112. Marabou stork

 

A.k.a. the "undertaker bird", is a naked headed stork that competes the vultures at carcasses. They eat anything from termites, flamingos and other birds, and mammals of all sizes to human waste. Their face becomes scarlet when agitated, because of high temperature and this is how they kill bacteria inside their body. There exist very nice facts about why it is has been widely considered as one of the dirtiest and ugliest birds.

113. African Openbill

In the family of storks, a smaller bird, with a characteristic, wide, nutcracker-like gap between the mandibles.

 

114. Abdim's stork

 

Breeds in central Africa, but is a common migrant to the south. Red face when breeding and agitated.

 

 

 

 April 2024, Zimbabwe