Marabou stork quite ill-tempered. It also resembles other storks in that it is not very vocal, but indulges in bill-rattling courtship displays. The throat sac is also used to make various noises at that time. A number of endoparasites have been identified in wild marabous including "Cheilospirura", "Echinura" and "Acuaria" nematodes, "Amoebotaenia sphenoides" (Cestoda) and "Dicrocoelium hospes" (Trematoda). The marabou stork is a frequent scavenger, and the naked head and neck are adaptations to this livelihood, as it is with the vultures with which the stork often feeds. In both cases, a feathered head would become rapidly clotted with blood and other
Marabou (fashion) very popular trimming from the late eighteenth century onwards. It was used for trimming hats and making up muffs and feather boas. The Great Exhibition of 1851 prominently featured marabout alongside other feathers as second only in popularity to ostrich feathers, and it was noted that white marabout was sometimes very scarce, and also that some manufacturers were making highly commended items from turkey and goose-down. Since the 20th century, marabou (spelt without a T) has become associated with lingerie and sex appeal. The Metropolitan Museum states that 'no object better epitomizes the sex kitten glamour of the 1950s than