![]() The shoebill stork bird lays about one-three eggs that weigh about 164 g and they incubate their eggs for almost 30 days but they rarely raise more than one chick. The built nests are always about1-1.7 meters wide and are also built out of aquatic vegetation. These birds build their nests on floating platforms which are made out of aquatic vegetation and both the male and female shoebills are engaged in this activity of nest building. ![]() In the northern and southern regions, nesting starts just after the end of the rainy seasons, but in most central regions the shoebill stork birds start nesting, the period at the end of a wet season so that they can hatch at the beginning of the next wet season. A pair of shoebill birds breeds in an area of about 2-4 square kilometres far away from the other shoebills, they do not nest in colonies like the pelicans, storks, herons and some other birds. Their breeding the lonely nature of the shoebill stork birds also applies to their breeding. Despite their large nature, they often stand and rest on floating vegetation where they always appear just like a Giant Jacana thus The most sought bird in Africa. These birds are always attracted to fresh swamp waters that are poorly oxygenated and where fish frequently appear at the surface for breath. But however, during their search for food and are in a tall grass area, they always seem less frightened of people in case they come around. They normally don’t like any kind of disturbances from humans therefor once they are disturbed by humans, the can even leave there nests and look for habitation elsewhere. The shoebill stork birds are described as statue-like bird species due to the fact that they are fond of standing and staying still for a long period of time. This bird can be identified because of its distinctive features from other bird for example its feathers are medium blue-grey and its tail is the same colour as its wings and when it flies, its legs extend straight back far past its tail, and when you view it at a far distance especially while it’s in its habitat, its size and wingspan make it appear different from other birds. As it flies, its neck draws back in other words, it’s retracted. Shoebills have several ways of cooling themselves, including gular fluttering, i.e., expanding their throat sac to allow greater passage of air and defecating on their legs to keep them from being exposed to heat.The most sought bird in Africa : shoebill is a slow bird that it does not even fly for more than 500 meters depending on each shoebill, their distance of flying ranges between 100m-500m especially due to its large nature and their flapping rate is about 150 flap per minute.The presence of the nictitating membrane keeps their eyes moist, also protecting them from dirt and dust. Their vision is strong, relying on it entirely for hunting.Their long toes that lack webbing help the shoebill walk on vegetation with ease like the jacana while maintaining their balance using their wings.The large bills are the most striking feature of the shoebill, helping it scoop up large prey, which it kills using its beak’s razor-sharp edge.Only large, desperately hungry animals like crocodiles attempt to attack them but only do so on rare occasions.Ĭhicks are sometimes stolen from their nests, but only when the parents aren’t around. They are some of the slowest birds to ever fly, at 150 flaps per minute, and cover distances of less than 330 to 1,640 ft.Īdult birds have no known natural predators due to their large size and intimidating appearance. They are capable of flight but are rarely seen doing so, indicating a reluctance to fly.These birds expel the excessive items keeping only their quarry, which gets decapacitated before its consumption. They pick up water and vegetation, along with their intended prey. ![]() ![]() When hunting, the shoebill stays motionless in one spot until they suddenly lurch in a manner referred to as “collapsing”.The chicks often make a typical sound when begging for food, sounding similar to human hiccups. Though these birds are usually silent, they are known to communicate via bill clattering, sounding similar to a machine gun firing.Only when food is scarce will these storks forage close to each other. Even breeding pairs rarely interact with each other. Shoebills are solitary and are seldom seen in groups, foraging 20m apart from each other even in densely populated areas. ![]() These birds are long-lived, living for more than 35 years. Shoebills will also consume carrion, rodents, snails, and waterfowl on rare occasions or periods of scarcity. Sometimes they will also hunt frogs, mollusks, monitor lizards, juvenile crocodiles, and turtles. Piscivorous by nature, this stork primarily eats bichirs, catfish, lungfish, tilapia, and water snakes. ![]()
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