Marabou Stork

© Shem Compion
Marabou Stork.

Ukwakheka nokuvela

Le kuyinyoni ekulu, nengakajayeleki ngendlela engayo. Ngale kwalokho inemilenze emathambo, begodu nemizwanayo injalo. Eenyonini ezikulu, lokhu kuyindlela eqakathekileko yokukghona ukuphapha. Udoyilo unamaphiko amade ngesilinganiso samamitha amabili nesithandathu (2.6 m) kanye nokuphakama okuyimith yinye nahlanu (1.5 m). Zineehloko ezingana masiba. Eziduna zingabonakala ngesikhwama sazo esikhulu somoya. Zinjalo nje eziduna zikulu bezibudisi begodu nemilomazo iqinile beyinamandla. Ngombala eduna nesikazi ziyafana, zinombala ofipheleko, kanye namacatjhazana abomvu kanye nemilinze emide. Zivamise ukuba nombala omlotha encenyeni ephezulu kanye nephasi yomzimba.
Amadzinyananazo akhulakhulileko anombala ofana newezidala kodwana okufiphele khudlwana. Amadzinyana anamaboya ayiwula ambese ihlokwanawo begodu akabi nobunzima eensibeni zawo ukufikela eminyakeni emithathu yobudala. Eminyakeni emine yobudala iinsiba vane sele zikhule ngookwaneleko. Inamasiba athambileko, umsila umasiba amhlophe begodu zaziwa ngokuthi yi-marabou. Intamo nehloko azinamasiba. Inyoni le inesikhwama esibomvu eside nesilengeleleko entanyenayo. Isikhwamesi sivamise ukusetjenziswa ngesikhathi sokubekelanisa. Isikhwamesi sombala obukhobe esima-intjhi alisumi nobunane esikghona ukunabiseka, sibonakala khulu ngesikhathi sokubekelanisa. Silumathana neentunja zepumulwayo bese sisebenza njenge sihlengezelisi ukwenzela bona kuphume itjhada lokukukuruza elenziwa miqude. Nanyana ithulileko ivamise ukwenza itjhada elivamise ukuba litjhada elikhupha ngomlomo nelihlabako khulukhulu nayithukiweko.

Ukudla

Zivamise ukudla ingcuba kanye nezinto ezonakeleko. Nanyana ibonakala kwanga ayinamusa emehlweni womuntu, umukghwa lo uqakatheke khulu eendaweni ephila kizo; ngokuthi isuse iingcuba neensalela zento efileko, abodoyaba badlala indima ehle ekuvikeleni ukusabalala kwezinto ezingabanga amalwelwe. Zimhlobo okhamba ubuthelela ukudla, zidla yoke into ukusuka emuhlweni, iinyonyana ezincani kanye neenlwani zomhlobo omunyisako ezilahlwe babantu kanye neendlovu ezifileko. Zidla iinsalela ngokuhlanganyela namadlanga kanye neempisi.

Ukubekelisana nokuhlangana nelidu

Iinyonezi zibekelelisana encenyeni yesiphetho semithi, lapho zivamise ukwakha khona iindleke zazo. Nazo zinomugkhwa walezo ezimhlophe (White stork) nofana (Ciconia ciconia) wokuthanda ukuba seduze nalapho kunabantu khona. Ivamise ukufinyelela isigaba sokubekelisana nasele ineminyaka emine yobudala kuthi ukusuka lapho zibekelisane unomphela. Zibekelisana ngemihlambi, zinesidleke esikhulu, esisipara esenziwe ngengodo ezakheka ngendlela yomuda ebasikotlelo kanye namakari ahlaza neengojwana. Zivamise ukubelekela amaqanda amabili ukuya kamathathu ngesikhathi sebusika. Zombili eduna nesikazi zifukamela amaqanda; kanti-ke ziqoqosela ngemva kwamalanga amasumi amathathu. Amadzinyanazo aqoqoselwa abuthakathaka khulu. Kanti-ke zombili eduna nesikazi ziwathuthela ukudla, ukuwasingatha nokuwatlhogomela kuthatha iinyanga ezinthu ukuya kezine.

Ukuziphatha

Abodoyaba bathanda utjani obutlhurhe ngokutjha komlilo. Bavamise ukugijima phambi komlilo otjhako bese babambe iinlwanyana ezilinga ukubalekela umlilo. Ziphapha ngendlela esezingeni eliphezulu begodu ziyahlala ngayinye nofana ngomhlambi womndenazo. Inomukghwa ofana nowenyoni ebizwa i-Turkey Vultures wokuthi izihlwengise ngemilenze neenyawo zayo. Kwazala bonyana i-Turkey Vulture kuyinyoni ehlanzekileko tle, begodu nayo le engudoyi injalo, nanyana iinzathu zazo zokwenza bunje zihlukile nje. Kuyisiza bonyana ikhulule umzimbayo emtjhisweni nofana emakhazeni, bese igcina sele yenza bonyana abantu baqabange bonyana inemilenze emihlophe.
Njengeenyoni ezinengi udoyi lo nakutjhisako uvula iinsiba ngehloso yokwehlisa umtjhiso osemzimbeni. Lo kumhlobo weenyoni ezivilapha khulu begodu ziqeda isikhathi esinengi zijame ngaphandle kokusikinyeka, nanyana nazithoma zithi ziyaphapha zisuke zikarise, ngokusebenzi ubujamo bezulu obunomoya omnengi ukuya phezulu ngendlela ezifuna ngayo. Azisimhlobo okhgona ukuphapha ibangana elincani nokho. Njengabanye abodoyi nazo lezi ziphapha ziqalise imilenzazo ngemuva, kodwana ziyahluka kunabomzawabo zigcina iintamo zazo zipatalele begodu zizigobele pheze emuva zibonakale njenge ledere u-‘S’; lokhu kuzisiza bonyana zibekele umlomazo obudisi emahlombe.

Indawo yokuhla

Zihlala eduze namanzi kanye neendawo ezisiquntu salapho kunganazulu. Zihlotjaniswa khulu neendawo zabantu eduze nalapho kubanjwa khona iimfesi kanye nalapho kulahlwa khona ifuqufuqu.

Lapho zitholakala khona

E-Afrika zitholakala eSewula ye-Sahara.

Igama lesi-Latin

Leptoptilos crumeniferus