LEFT Historically, greater
adjutants fed on the carcasses
of mammals – much like their
close relative, the marabou
stork, in Africa. But with many
species largely eradicated
across the region, scavenging
opportunities now come
primarily in the form of dead
livestock. As their beaks are
not strong or sharp enough to
tear up carcasses, adjutants
rely on vultures to do the job
for them, wading in to grab
whatever morsels they can.
The storks, however, are able
to consume the bones that
vultures cannot, giving rise to
their local name of Hargilla –
the ‘swallower of bones’.
BBC Wildlife 55