Marabou stork is a large, unusual-looking bird. In addition to hollow leg bones, marabou storks have hollow toe bones. In such a large bird, this is an important adaptation for flight. The African Marabou storks reach a wingspan of 2,6 m and a height of 1,5 m.
Marabou storks are bald-headed. Males can be identified by their large air sacs. In addition, males are generally slightly larger and taller than females. Sexes are alike in coloration. A juvenile has similar coloration but is duller. Immature birds have a woolly covering on their heads and do not gain the black in their plumage until about three-years-old.
Its soft, white tail feathers are known as marabou. Its neck and head contain no feathers. The Marabou stork has a long, reddish pouch hanging from its neck. This pouch is used in courtship rituals. The naked 18-inch inflatable pink sac is particularly conspicuous during the breeding season. It connects directly to the left nostril and acts as a resonator allowing the bird to produce a guttural croaking. While usually silent, the Marabou Stork will also emit a sound caused by beak clacking if it feels threatened.
They mainly feed on carrion and scraps. Although it doesn't seem to be very sympathetic in human eyes, this behavior is of great importance to the ecosystem they inhabit; by removing carcasses and rotting material, Marabous help to avoid the spreading of pathogens. They are scavengers, they eat anything from termites, flamingoes and small birds and mammals to human refuse and dead elephants. They also feed on carcasses with vultures and hyenas.
Marabou storks are attracted to grass fires. They march in front of the advancing fire grabbing animals that are fleeing.
Marabous breed on the treetops, where they build large nests. It reaches sexual maturity when it is approximately four years old and usually mates for life. They are colonial breeders, their nests are a large, flat platform made of sticks with a shallow central cup lined with smaller sticks and green leaves. Usually, 2-3 eggs are laid during the dry season. Both sexes incubate; eggs hatch in 30 days. Their young are helpless at birth. Both sexes tend and feed the young. The fledging period is 3-4 months.
Marabou Stork defecates upon its legs and feet. It helps in regulating body temperature, and also gives the false appearance that the birds have lovely white legs. Like many birds, the Marabou Stork also pants when it becomes hot, again to lower its body temperature.
These are particularly lazy birds and spend much of their time standing motionless, though once they take flight they are very elegant, using thermal up-draughts to provide the needed lift. Like other storks, they fly with their especially long legs trailing behind, but unlike their cousins they keep their neck tucked well in and bent into a flattened S; this allows the weight of the heavy beak to be taken on the shoulders. #birdsofeastafrica.
Today many birds were seen, but many will soon be forgotten. Yet one master African hunter is indelibly etched on every African child's mind, the Long-crested eagle.
Growing up in the Gorilla Highlands, this is the bird that children asked whether they would die one day or live forever. Its the one that village belles asked whether they would be married in the East or in the West.
With just a flick of its long crest, downwards or up, this way or that way, one's fate was sealed.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Kamushungushungu, the African bird of prophecy, the "sit and wait" hunter which waits on a perch, scanning the ground and swoops on prey with a gliding flight.
Here are its 7 behavioral facts:
1. It mostly feeds on rodents, which is a big part of its conservation story. Its pest control reputation in Agricultural Africa is only shrouded by its prophetic myth. It however also feeds on other birds, including owls and the young of other raptors, frogs and lizards, invertebrates and even fish and fruit.
2. The long-crested eagle is territorial. Thats why they dont flock.
3. The male displays during courtship, performing steep dives and also using a rocking, level display flight, calling frequently during these displays.
4. Both sexes build the nest, constructing a stick platform lined with green leaves. The nest is normally situated in the mid-canopy and very close to the trunk of a tree near the forest edge.
5. It breeds all year but most eggs are laid in July to November season. The female lays 1-2 eggs which are laid asynchronously, as much as two weeks apart.
6. The female takes most of the burden of incubating the eggs and the female begins incubation as soon as the first egg is laid which means that hatching is also asynchronous. Incubation lasts 42 days (twice that of domestic hens).
7. Interestingly, during incubation, the male provides the female with food.@Godfrey
#Earthshots
This is the introduction to a series on animals that are endangered or in decline, giving them a name so that we can give them a voice.
A.E. (Anthony) Lovell
The death of hundreds of elephants in Botswana has been an unsolved mystery for a long time during this pandemic in Botswana. Most of these have shown the symptoms of dizziness and walking in circles before dropping dead face-first. Government officials quote that 281 elephants have been verified to be dead with this bizarre behavior, but the conservationists and the NGOs claim that the death toll is much higher.
Initially, wild life experts have omitted the possibility of tuberculosis and believe that the cause is beyond the known diseases. Though the death number does not sound serious in population perspective, it is absolutely critical to complete the diagnosis and have accurate results in order to avoid any foul play or before elephants succumb to more of such mysterious deaths.
Botswana has an estimated 130,000 Savanna elephants and is considered to be one of the last strongholds of species in Africa. The earlier estimations were to be around 350,000 and ivory poaching in 20th century has reduced the species to one third of them today. The thousand-square-mile to the northeast of Okavango Delta, which has witnessed the deaths of elephants has around 18,000 elephants roughly. The wildlife experts and veterans believe that the possible causes could be the ingestion of toxic bacteria into the water, viral infection from rodents in the area or a pathogen infection. Conservationists are also considering the possibility of poisoning by humans.
The investigating officials of the Botswana government had sent for the testing to the laboratories in Zimbabwe, South Africa, US and Canada as well. The wild life department made a press release that the deaths are probably due to natural toxins.
However, the officials have confirmed that the conclusion could not be made about the cause yet. Authorities have so far ruled out anthrax, as well as poaching, as the tusks were found intact. They believe that some bacteria can naturally produce poison, particularly in stagnant water.
Elephants Without Borders (EWB) is a wildlife conservation charity that first flagged about these mysterious deaths. Their confidential report with references to 356 dead elephants was leaked to the public media in early July. The charity suspected that the deaths were not restricted to any specific age group or gender and has also highlighted that many live elephants have shown signs of weakness, lethargy and even disorientation.
Presence of green lush vegetation and the fact that waterholes in the vicinity are still full of rainwater eliminates the possibility of deaths due to dehydration or starvation. Though the blue green algae can be deadly when consumed along with water, elephants generally drink water from the middle of the water bodies, but not edges. But there has been a pre-historic mass elephant deaths due to Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and this cause could only be substantiated with the laboratory results, which is still underway. The neurological symptoms like walking in circles suggests that anthrax poisoning is also a possibility.
The Anthrax bacteria occurs naturally in soil and elephants become infected if they have ingested contaminated soil or breathed in. Anthrax is known to be affecting wild life and domestic animals around the world.
Experts opinionated that it requires a detailed sampling of carcasses, soil and water in the delta area for an accurate explanation. But the challenge is the remoteness and the hot weather in the area which could have degraded the body, erasing important evidences, and scavenging animals which may eat organs making it extremely challenging for the examination. Despite the wildlife conservationists’ huge cry worldwide, there is still no confirmation on the absolute cause for the hundreds of elephant deaths.
MojoStreaming’s Volunteer Wildlife News Broadcaster contest:
Are you a wildlife lover who either dream of becoming a social media influencer or
wants to report on important wildlife issues from around the Globe?
(Must be 21 or older to enter)
MojoStreaming, the new Wildlife channel is holding a contest to find a Volunteer Broadcaster (Newsreader) to report on Wildlife issues on our News channel. Become the first of our eventual
team of newsreaders from time zones around the world.
The
Contest
Phase
One
How to enter:
Submit
a video of yourself reporting on two current wildlife issues, one in North America, the other in Africa. Collectively, the two reports must be no less
than 3 minutes (180 seconds), and no more than 4 minutes twenty seconds long (260 seconds). How you choose to present is up to you.
Beginning at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time (“EST”) on March 22, 2021, until 11:00 p.m. EST on April 5, 2021 (The “Submission Period”),
you may upload your submission Video on MojoStreaming in the following way:
Visit the MojoStreaming website (www.mojostreaming.com) and open a free account by clicking on the Sign-up Tab on the top of the home page.·
When you have signed up, click on the Upload Tab.
Click on the Video Icon
Under the heading Title, enter your full legal name, followed by “News Broadcaster Submission”.
Under the heading Description, enter a brief description of your video.
Under the heading Category, Select the “Broadcaster Contest” option
Under the heading Privacy, choose Public
Click Upload.
Although it has been loaded, your video will not go live until April 6 on or around about 8.00 p.m. EST, when it will become visible on our channel for the first time.
Beginning April 6 through April 18, 2021, 11:00 P.M. EST, entrants should promote their video by asking friends & family to” like” their video by clicking the
thumbs-up icon.
To vote a person must open up an account and login to be able to vote for the video of their choice.
Only one (1) vote per account/per video will be recorded.
On April 19, 2021, all the videos EXCEPT the 6 videos with the most likes will be deleted from the Broadcasting Contest channel.
These six videos will move forward to the second round of the Contest (Phase Two)
On April 20-25, 2021, the six Finalists will be contacted by email associated with their mojostreaming.com account
Phase 2
For In the final round (Phase Two) of the Contest, the top six (6) contestants will be required to conduct an interview with a Wildlife Conservation Personality of
MojoStreaming’s choice, on a subject matter of MojoStreaming’s choice. The interview will be up to 30 minutes in duration. The first Finalist conducted
interview will take place on May 5, 2021, at 8:00 P.M. EST, and the last on June 9, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. EST
The announcement of the winner chosen by MojoStreaming Ltd. Executives will be at a live-streamed virtual event on MojoStreaming.com
on June 16, 2021, at 8:00 P.M. EST
The First Phase of the Contest begins on March 22, 2021, at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time and ends on April 5, 2021
at 11:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (the "Contest Period"). Entries that are submitted before or after the Contest Period will be disqualified.
Submissions will be accepted for the duration of the Contest using the following method:
Online
Online:
This method of entry will be available by visiting our website (www.mojostreaming.com) BLOG and/or NOTICES at the footer of the site and
following the directions provided.
Limit one (1) entry per person, per email address, and per household for the duration of the Contest Period, regardless of method
of entry. Entries received from any person, e-mail address, or household more than the stated limitation will
be void. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned.
7. Contest finalists
On or about April 19, 2021, the Sponsor will select the six potential finalists of Phase one of the Contest from the
six most voted for of all eligible entries received. The Sponsor will attempt to notify the potential finalists via email on or about April 20, 2021. If a
potential finalist cannot be contacted within five (5) days after the date of the first attempt to contact him/her, the Sponsor may select an alternate
potential finalist in his/her place at from the seventh most voted of the eligible entries.
8. Finalist Notifications
The potential finalists will be notified by email. Each potential Finalist will be required to complete,
electronically sign and submit a Declaration of Compliance within five (5) days of the date notice or attempted notice is sent, in order to be considered a
finalist. If a potential finalist cannot be contacted or fails to submit the Declaration of Compliance within the required time period potential
finalist forfeits the prize. Potential finalists must continue to comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules and winning is contingent
upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event that a potential finalist is disqualified for any reason, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential
finalist in his/her place from the seventh most voted of the eligible entries. In the event of further disqualifications, the Sponsor may continue
to choose finalists from the next most voted-for entries until the six required finalist positions have been fulfilled.
9. Winners
The six contestants whose video submissions receive the most votes (the Finalists) will move forward to Phase two of
the Contest.
Phase Two
10. Contest Period
The Second Phase of the Contest begins on April 25, 2021, at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time and ends on June 9, 2021, at 8:30
P.M. Eastern Standard Time (the "Contest Period").
11. How to Enter.
Each Finalist will be given half an hour to conduct a Livestream interview with a Wildlife Personality chosen by the Sponsor, on a
date and time prescribed by the sponsor. You will have April 26, 2021 – May 4, 2021, to prepare. The first Finalist
conducted interview will take place on May 5, 2021, at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, and the last on June 9, 2021
at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. The Livestream interview will be made available to be watched by MojoStreaming subscribers.
12. Winner Notifications
The overall winner will be chosen by the Sponsors, and the winner will be announced at a live-streamed virtual event on MojoStreaming.com on June 16 at 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
All the Finalists will attend virtually. The virtual live event will be made available to be watched by MojoStreaming subscribers.
13. General Conditions
In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Contest is impaired in any way for any reason, including,
but not limited to fraud, virus, bug, worm, unauthorized human intervention or another technical problem, or in the event the Contest is unable to run as
planned for any other reason, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either (a) suspend the Contest to
address the impairment and then resume the Contest in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules or (b) terminate the Contest and, in the
event of termination, award the Prize at random from among the eligible, non-suspect entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Sponsor
reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or to be
acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to damage the website or undermine
the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right
to seek damages (including attorney's fees) and any other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Failure by the Sponsor to
enforce any provision of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
14. Release and Limitations of Liability
By participating in the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates,
advertising and promotion agencies, other companies associated with The contest, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees,
shareholders, representatives, and agents (the Released Parties) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the
Contest or receipt or use of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto), including, but not limited to: (a) any technical errors
associated with the Contest, including lost, interrupted, or unavailable Internet Service Provider (ISP), network, server, wireless service provider, or
other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cellular tower or cable transmissions, lines,
or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties;
(b) unauthorized human intervention in the Contest; (c) mechanical, network, electronic, computer, human, printing or typographical errors; (d) application
downloads, (e) any other errors or problems in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors that may occur in the administration of
the Contest, the announcement of the winner, the cancellation or postponement of the event and/or the flyover, if applicable, the incorrect downloading of
the application, the processing of entries application downloads, or in any Contest-related materials; or (f) injury, death, losses or damages of any kind,
to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrants participation in the Contest or acceptance, receipt or
misuse of the prize (including any travel or activity related thereto). Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Released Parties liability will
be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Contest, and in no event shall the entrant be entitled to receive attorney's fees. Released
Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or
programming associated with or utilized in the Contest. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive,
consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
15. Disputes
Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of, or
connected with, the Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by
the appropriate court located in Ontario, Canada. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of
these Official Rules, entrants rights, and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsor in connection with the Contest shall be governed
by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Ontario, Canada, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law
rules, which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Ontario, Canada.
12. Privacy
Information collected from entrants is subject to the sponsor's privacy policy.
