![]() Shoebills are the only member of their genus Balaeniceps, and the only living member of their family, Balaenicipitidae. Their namesake shoebill is large, and very closely resembles a shoe While these birds are called shoebill storks, they are actually members of the taxonomic order Pelecaniformes. They are sometimes called whaleheads, again, for their odd bill. ![]() The global population is currently estimated at between 5,000-8,000 birds and the species is classed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Shoebills are large birds with uniquely shaped beaks. The Shoebill is undergoing a continuing decline owing to the effects of habitat destruction and degradation, pollution, nest disturbance, hunting, and capture for the live bird trade. Meet the Shoebill stork that’s not a stork. ![]() And we’re not sure if we want to cuddle it or run away. The shape and size of their beaks give them an almost dinosaur-like appearance. Their large beaks curve down at the end, forming a hook, and they use this sharp curve to pierce through their prey’s bodies. The breeding season varies, being dependent on Africa’s seasonal flood cycle. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Shoebill Stork makes its entrance. The shoebill stork gets their name from their shoe-shaped beak that can reach up to 7.4 or 9.4 inches long and 4 inches wide. Although a clutch of up to three dull, chalky-white eggs is laid, typically only one nestling survives due to inter-sibling rivalry, where the larger (generally first born) chick will out-compete and/or kill its siblings. The construction can be up to three metres wide. The nest is large and flattened, built amid swamp grasses or sedges and usually on a mound of floating vegetation or a small island. Individuals are highly solitary – often the male and female in a breeding pair prefer to occupy different ends of their shared territory. This large waterbird is unmistakable due to its unique ‘shoe-shaped’ bill which gives it an almost prehistoric appearance – reminding us of birds’ dinosaur ancestry.įound in nine countries across Africa the species has a large range, but exists in small localised populations concentrated around swamps and wetlands.
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