erin.

This is a photo of me standing with a marabou stork. These birds are really huge, with a wingspan of about 3 meters, and gross.

I have been told that marabout storks first became common in Uganda during the days of Idi Amin, when they would eat dead bodies. I am not sure if this is true, but I am certain the birds’ population has increased as Uganda’s population (and its ability to generate trash) has increased.

Marabou storks scavenge from trash heaps in Kampala. There are periodic debates about what to do with them. They make a mess of sidewalks and occasionally surprise the unsuspecting person walking beneath their nest. But perhaps the real question is what to do with Kampala’s trash– the city generates about 1,500 tons of garbage daily, and only 40 percent of it is removed. Yuck.