Marabou stork of any landbird, to rival the Andean condor; more typically, however, these storks measure across the wings, which is about a foot less than the average Andean condor wingspan and nearly two feet less than the average of the largest albatrosses and pelicans. Typical weight is , unusually as low as , and length (from bill to tail) is . Females are smaller than males. Bill length can range from . Unlike most storks, the three "Leptoptilos" species fly with the neck retracted like a heron. The marabou is unmistakable due to its size, bare head and neck, black back,
Marabou stork substances when the bird's head was inside a large corpse, and the bare head is easier to keep clean. This large and powerful bird eats mainly carrion, scraps and faeces but will opportunistically eat almost any animal matter it can swallow. It occasionally eats other birds including "quelea" nestlings, pigeons, doves, pelican and cormorant chicks, and even flamingos. During the breeding season, adults scale back on carrion and take mostly small, live prey since nestlings need this kind of food to survive. Common prey at this time may consist of fish, frogs, insects, eggs, small mammals and reptiles such as