We've all heard of the caribou. Today I learned about the remarkable African marabou. At five feet, it's nearly as tall as I am, but its wings spread a full ten feet; mine don't come close.

Marabou don't look like much to care abou
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:Wx785hsE4vYJ:rosswarner.com/Mstorks3.html+picture+marabou&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Perty ugly from the neck on up, but not bad otherwise.

http://www.afrigalah.com/sel2img/Marabou.jpg

Certainly looks as if it's been beaten really badly with the ugly stick, doesn't it?

ugly stick

betcha wouldn't say that to it's mother...

I read that the marabou's wedge-shped bill can slice right through flesh, which is useful since it feeds off carrion. It's the death stork.

the marabou's wedge-shped bill can slice right through flesh

That would explain the nearly featherless head. Here's another picture, even uglier:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~teund/marabou.jpg