Shoebill Stork Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan On account of its body size and big, sharp beak, the shoebill stork has few predators besides crocodiles and humans. Civil war and poaching also threaten to disrupt their placid existence. Shoebill Stork Predators and Threatsĭue to their very particular ecological niche, shoebills are threatened by the conversion of wetlands into agriculture, grazing lands, mines, and dams. If no other food is available, then it may turn to lizards, turtles, frogs, mollusks, and even young crocodiles. The shoebill likes to eat catfish, tilapia, bichirs, lungfish, and even water snakes. The shoebill stork prefers to nest near low-oxygen water, where fish need to surface frequently to breathe. After capturing prey, this bird will swing its head back and forth to expel vegetation from its mouth and then decapitate its victim or swallow it whole. The stork will probably not get a second chance, because it can take a few minutes to regain its balance and try standing again. When it lunges, the bird’s entire head actually collapses into the water. The shoebill has two basic hunting strategies: “stand and wait” or “wade and walk slowly,” both of which occur right near the edge of the water. But in order to be born aloft, the bird must first make a large leap and a few heavy wing beats to catch a ride on the thermals. Though otherwise silent, they will also make a whining or mewing sound to communicate.ĭespite its enormous size, the shoebill stork has the ability to soar high above the wetlands on gusts of thermal wind. The shoebill will actually employ a technique called bill clattering to greet each other by pressing their bills together. That does not mean it is bereft of all social niceties, however. Even its mating partner will usually forage on opposite sides of the territory. Any encounters with other shoebills during its daytime foraging excursions are generally unwanted and undesirable. The shoebill stork can perhaps be described as an anti-social bird. The Shoebill stork, Balaeniceps rex, also known as Whalehead or Shoe-billed Stork, is a very large Stork-like bird. Males are slightly larger in terms of body and bill size. Standing between 4.5 and 5.5 feet in height (and with a weight of 12 pounds), the shoebill stork is among the largest birds in the world. As you can probably imagine, this large bill also needs a strong head, neck, and body to support it. Much of the bill is composed of hard keratin, the same substance as nails and horns. As one of the largest bills among all living birds, it’s used to catch and swallow large prey whole. By far the most prominent characteristic, though, is the massive shoe-like bill that ends in a curved hook, rightly earning this bird the nickname of whale headed. It’s characterized by long, spindly legs, blue to grey plumage, a powdered down on the breast and stomach, and a small tuft of feathers at the back of the head that forms a crest. The appearance of the shoebill stork has sometimes been likened to a dinosaur. See all of our entertaining and insightful animal articles.

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The bird’s territorial range coincides very strongly with the occurrence of the papyrus plant.ĭo you want to learn more about Shoebill Stork? Read “10 Incredible Shoebill Stork Facts”.

Shoebills will fiercely guard a territory stretching more than a square mile.While in flight, the shoebill retracts its neck against its body.The shoebill will also urinate on its own leg, which will then have a cooling effect after evaporating. This is the act of opening its mouth and fluttering its throat muscles to release excess heat. Like many birds, the shoebill uses a technique called gular fluttering to stay cool.The shoebill is the only living member of its family. Standing tall on its long, stilt-like legs, the shoebill stork cuts an imposing figure as it stalks slowly through the dense wetlands for its prey without making a sound.Īlthough it was once classified as a stork, it’s actually more closely related to the herons, hamerkop, and pelicans within the completely separate order of Pelecaniformes.

Shoebill dinosaur