![]() While the momma shoebill will lay two or three eggs, only one chick will survive, as the eldest offspring has a Darwinian dark side and, alas, kills its siblings. Both partners participate in building their nest, which is a kind of floating barge that can be as large as 10 feet wide (3 meters) and 9 feet (almost 3 meters) deep. Weighing anywhere from 12 to 15 pounds and standing up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall with a wingspan that can reach 8 feet (over 2 meters), this steely-eyed, aloof and gawky bird hangs out in reedy wetlands where it can nosh on its favorite foods, namely lungfish, tilapia, catfish, frogs, snakes, monitor lizards and baby crocodiles – all of which it can snatch and swallow whole or tear through and decapitate easily with its badass, hollow, pelican-like 7-inch (18-centimeter) beak.Ī monogamous bird that can live up to 35 years, the shoebill finds its mate at a young age and aggressively defends its partner against rivals. Docile around humans, and known for its slow movements and tendency to stand still for long periods of time, it’ll probably just stand there and pose with that exotic, velociraptor “je ne sais quoi” look on its unfortunate face and stare you down – giving you plenty of time to harness your inner birder and do a photo shoot – from, say, at least 10 feet (3 meters) away. But if you do, no need to worry or run: It won’t eat you or try to zhuzh your hair. Are shoebill storks real code#Its ZIP code is the remote marshy swamps of East Africa – from South Sudan to Zambia – so it’s highly unlikely you’ll ever run into this funny-slash-menacing-looking avian hybrid of Derek Zoolander and Hannibal Lecter in a dark alley near you. However, more recent DNA research finds that shoebills are actually biochemically more like herons and anatomically more closely related to pelicans. Also known as a whalehead, the breathtaking, prehistoric-looking shoebill stork has been called “the most terrifying bird in the world,” “Monsterface” and even “Death Pelican.”īased on its morphology, the shoebill was classified with storks from the 1850s through the 1980s. The majority of that population is concentrated in South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.Gasp and behold the rare Balaeniceps rex. Currently, the IUCN estimates there are between 3,300 and 5,300 adult shoebills left in the wild. In some areas, shoebills are also hunted for food, while in others they are killed because they are seen as bad omens. Habitat destruction and industrial pollution are affecting populations. Unfortunately, as one might imagine, the shoebill's major predator is us. To fend off predators from stealing eggs, shoebills build their nests in places that are difficult to reach, and they aren't afraid to get aggressive to defend that nest. In the wild, they can live for nearly 36 years and, as one might imagine, adults don't have major predators. Even mating pairs search for food on opposite ends of the territory. Interestingly, shoebills don't live in groups. But they can also hunt monitor lizards, baby crocodiles, turtles, and frogs. They primarily feast on lungfish, bichirs, catfish, and tilapia. Fish is the main component of their diet. Though shoebills are carnivores, they're looking for small prey. If you were wondering what these prehistoric-looking birds eat, don't worry-humans aren't on the menu. Then, they'll clatter their bills, much like storks do, to communicate with one another. Shoebills are typically silent except when they arrive at the nest. They're not only deliberate in their movements but also in their sounds. This means that they simply fall forward on their prey with their beaks wide open, scooping up their meal. And when the time is right, they make their move by exhibiting a behavior called collapsing. Shoebills can stand motionless for hours, waiting for the perfect moment to catch their prey. Just their clog-like beak, alone, measures a foot long and nearly half a foot wide.īut if you came upon a shoebill, there's a good chance you'd be intimidated not only by the size but the fact that they don't move. They can reach up to five-feet high with an eight-foot wingspan, making them fairly intimidating. Thanks to their stature, they truly are kings of their environment. Their thin legs with large feet give them the ability to wade through the vegetation of swamps and marshes from Ethiopia to Zambia. The shoebill's natural habitat is the swamps of eastern Africa. ![]()
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