When a toyline picks it’s species, it is best to be as diverse as possible. Sure you can go for the same old lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), but people, especially collectors, will often grab things that are rarely done or look interesting. Noah’s pals has been a good example of this. It does have a few classic species as models, but they have had a few unique and interesting models. Here we see one of the birds they choose, the Marbou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer), a somewhat ugly bird from Africa nicknamed the “undertaker bird” for it’s black feathers and ugly looks. Let’s have a look at our…. “lovely” models?
As all sets are male and female, as with the story of Noah, so we will look at both, starting with Scottie, the male. The sexual dimorphism is very clear here, with the gular pouch is large here, likely for intraspecific display. He is pretty tall, especially compared to his mate, measuring 2.5″ high and 1.8″ long. He has a pretty chilled standing pose, though this can cause issues, as the long legs can be prone to warping. Otherwise, not too bad.
Now to the “pretty” lady, Susan. She likewise is in a neutral pose, looking around a bit. She has long legs like the male, but seems to be better at not warping than Scottie. She is significantly shorter, measuring 2.1″ high and 1.2″ long, great for the 1:24 scale models of this line, but likely too small for most lines, as actually Marabou storks can reach 60″ and have wingspans of 13.3 ft.
Marabou storks are reasonably rare in the toy market (likely for their grotesque look and horrid reputation) and this is the only one to do a female. The male figures from other lines are better than this one, it has to be said, but the female is unique and the male isn’t too bad, so definitely worth considering. If you find it, definitely have a think about it.
