![]() ![]() It also has a razor-sharp, curved hook at the end that is used to spear its prey. Its large bill ranges from 7.8 – 9.5 in (20 – 24 cm) long and 4 – 4.8 in (10 – 12 cm) wide. Shoebill birds have enormous bills that are shaped like a shoe and are an adaptation for catching and holding the large, slippery fish that it preys on. The shape of a bird’s beak is designed for eating particular types of food and offers a big clue as to what the primary source of food is. However, what we do know demonstrates some amazing biological concepts! Shoe-shaped Bill It is surprising then that we know relatively little about them compared to other species. ![]() They were first described in writing that dates back as far as ancient Egypt. Humans have known about shoebill storks for a really long time. Interesting Insights from the Shoebill Stork! Fledging occurs at 95 days, and by 125 days, the chicks are independent. After they reach a month in age, the parents will start to leave prey items in the nest for the young birds to swallow. When they are born, the parents take turns feeding the chicks mashed up food. However, the large bill that these birds are known for doesn’t begin to show until they are a month old. Shoebill chicks are covered in a thick, silvery-grey down and already have a wide gape. Both parents will turn the eggs frequently using their feet or their bills. The female will lay two to three eggs, and these incubate for 30 days. They are monogamous birds that share parental responsibilities. Shoebill storks reach sexual maturity at three to four years. They have enormous wings that can span up to eight ft, which they use for soaring. Their piercing eyes are yellow or a white/grey mix. These birds have a dark grey, blue-grey, or slate-colored plumage with a white belly. This prehistoric-looking bird is also believed to be related to the now-extinct dinosaurs! This giant bird has a large body, huge wings, and a bill that looks like a shoe. The shoebill stork ( Balaeniceps rex) is a large, broad bird that is endemic to the swamps and wetlands of Central and East Africa. A close-up photo of a Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex, one of the birds which is most sought-after in the world by birders because of its very unusual looks.Females 11 lbs (4.9 kg), Males 12lbs (5.6 kg) Shoebills are large, prehistoric-looking birds which haunt freshwater marshes and swamps in East Africa, thus fondly referred to by many as the king of the marshes. It was formerly thought to be a member of the stork family, and indeed old books refer to it as a Shoebill Stork or Shoe-billed Stork, but it is now believed to be a single family member of the Pelican order Pelicaniformes. There is a single species of Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex, and although they are sometimes incorrectly referred to as a stork, they are more closely related to pelicans. Interestingly, the Victorian scientist John Gould, who gave it its Latin name, believed from the outset that it was related to Pelicans. It is also sometimes known as the Whale-headed Stork, and the family name given by Gould Balaeniceps comes from two Latin words, balaena ‘whale’, and caput ‘head’, which is abbreviated to -ceps in compound Scientific Latin words. The Arabs have called this bird Abou Marqoub / Abu Markub, ‘father of the shoe’, also in reference to its distinctive beak. They referred to the bird as ‘a camel-sized bird with an enormous beak’, but as the bird is very secretive, this was dismissed as fanciful for many years. “The most extraordinary bird I have seen for many years”. The Shoebill uses its huge beak to carry water to sprinkle over its eggs or chicks in very hot weather. They also use it to deliver blows to their prey, usually fish, but rodents, reptiles, amphibians and sometimes waterbirds are also taken. These blows either kill their prey outright or stun it enough so that they can scoop it into their beak. My Shoebill photo is available to purchase as a Royalty-free stock photo from iStock. The photo of a Shoebill is also available for sale as various types of wall art, and as home and personal accessories, from my gallery at. ![]() The Shoebill in the main photo above was photographed in Entebbe Wildlife Education Centre. ![]() Although it was a main target on the Uganda trip I was on, the group went to the Centre before setting off on safari, as an ‘insurance’ as the bird can prove very difficult to see. We overheard a guide telling some senior school pupils who were visiting the centre that these birds are important for tourism, as so many birders want to see it. They seemed incredulous, so we ‘butted in’ and assured them that our group was an example of this. ![]()
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