Scientifically known as Leptoptilos Crumeniferu, the Marabou stork is one of the commonest birds you can see while in Uganda. The Marabou Stork is locally and commonly known as Kaloli and it’s known to be one of the Ugliest birds in Uganda.
The Leptoptilos crumeniferus a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.
Where to See The Marabou Stork
This bird can be seen in many places including Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Being a native habitat of the African continent the Marabou stork can easily be seen in nearly every African country.
This bad dwells in places exposed too much dumped waste, lake shores, swamps, fishing communities and in many cases abatiors.
From the recent research by birding international the number of marabou storks in Kampala is decreasing since 2004.
These Africa’s ugliest birds are said to have decreased from 20,000 birds to approximately 10,000. The research blames the decrease on the increasing urbanization in the city which has reduced the birds’ habitat.
The mostly filthy breeding sites are often destroyed by the urban sanitation and garbage disposal authorities pushing the Marabou Stork further out of the city centre.
The Marabou Stork as a Natural Garbage Collector
According to the recent research carried out by Makerere University Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (MUIENR) studies show that each marabou stork helps to clean up 1-2 kilograms of garbage every day.
With their decreasing numbers its estimated that the remaining 10,000 marabou storks in Kampala city can only clear between 1 and 3 tones of garbage from the city Centre daily.
Ecologically speaking there may be no better alternative for garbage collection with much less financial implications than this bird!
Gazetted Viewing Centers
While there are currently no designated viewing centers for these birds, a Utopian plan is to have specific places set up where to view this bird from.
The plan would be to have gazetted birding areas to protect this Ugandan bird. The gazetted areas would act as breeding grounds and bolster the total bird population.
For the government viewing areas would also mean better revenue for the treasury from tourist revenue.