Dorky Muppet Bird or Modern-Day Dinosaur? You decide.
The Shoebill is a bird like no other
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, the Shoebill Stork makes its entrance.
And we’re not sure if we want to cuddle it or run away.
Meet the Shoebill stork that’s not a stork.
Nor a heron.
Nor a pelican, which it appears to be closest related to.
The Shoebill bird, Balaeniceps Rex (“whale-head king”) is its own species. While they look like storks, these prehistoric-looking birds make up their own family.
Here are some fascinating facts about the mysterious, Big Bird-like creature.
Draining the swamp, one baby crocodile at a time.
Luckily, these impressive whale-heads live solitary lives, far away from us. They spend their time wading in the swamps of the Great Lakes region of Africa.
It has a wide beak that resembles a typical Dutch klomp, with a sharp hook that it uses to hunt big fish and reptiles.
As if the Shoebill’s death stare wasn’t scary enough, it stands still like a statue for hours, quietly waiting to snatch its next meal. It will easily scoop up and gulp down lungfish, eels, snakes, and even baby crocodiles.
Shoebill siblings don’t seem to get along very well. Warning: siblicide.
On average, the Shoebill mother lays 2 eggs.
But she usually raises only 1 chick.
There might be a sinister and slightly sad reason for that.
The stronger baby Shoebill can attack its weaker sibling to be the only one who gets fed.
Mother Shoebill is wise and knows which chick is more likely to survive in the wild. The weaker chick either gets killed by its sibling or gets ignored by its mother. And the strongest one gets fed and survives. Siblicide is a sad reality.
It would defeat you in a staring contest. Don’t bother trying.
If there’s one skill a Shoebill is exceptional at, it’s staring. It will stare at the water for hours, rarely blinking, waiting for the right meal to swim by.
Its eagle-like eyes and motionless posture, combined with a pelican beak and Big Bird-like hairdo, make this one tough staring contest. You’d either end up laughing or give up when you’re starting to feel unsettled.
Just imagine this Shoebill, staring you down for hours straight.
They defecate on their legs to cool themselves down.
Urohidrosis is not unusual in the bird world. Turkey vultures do it. Some storks do it. And Shoebills do it. Their “pee” is a mixture of urine and feces which coat their legs. The pee evaporates and cools the bird down, helping it to regulate its body temperature.
When all has evaporated, it leaves a chalky substance behind which helps the Shoebill to protect its legs from the scorching African sun.
Don’t let them go extinct. Protect the Shoebill.
No matter where you stand, dorky muppet bird, or scary modern-day dinosaur, Shoebills are fascinating birds we should protect.
Their distinct look makes them an interesting target for poachers, who snatch Shoebill eggs and chicks like hawks and sell them to wealthy bird enthusiasts.
There are other threats, too.
Droughts, fires, and humans. The expanding kind, besides the poachers.
Despite their fierce appearance, Shoebills are shy birds. They flee at the slightest disturbance of their habitat, leaving their nests, eggs, and chicks behind.
BirdLife International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classify Shoebills as Vulnerable to Extinction.
Their numbers are dropping and there are only 3000–5000 mature shoebills left on planet earth. Bad news.
But there’s good news, too.
And good humans.
Local fishermen in canoes look after the Shoebills to protect them from poachers.
Conservation plans are put in place to protect the real-life Big Bird.
Let’s hope the efforts will help the Shoebills grow in number.
Because it would be a shame to have this beautiful, dorky dinosaur go extinct.
