The adult Shoebill stork can reach a height of up to 1.5 meters and is a formidable ambush predator, known for standing still in wetlands before lunging forward to engulf its prey with its massive beak.
Two young Shoebill storks compete for survival while their mother is away hunting. (Video: BBC).
The Shoebill, scientifically known as Balaeniceps rex, primarily inhabits wetlands in East Africa, feeding mainly on fish and reptiles, according to Live Science. This fearsome bird, resembling a prehistoric monster, boasts a beak length of 0.3 meters, making it the third largest-billed bird in the world. Its oversized beak and long, lanky legs turn it into a swamp behemoth, adept at attacking unsuspecting prey and swallowing them whole.
A study published in 2015 in the journal African Ornithology found that catfish are the most common prey of the Shoebill, accounting for about 71% of their diet. However, these birds also consume eels, snakes, and even young crocodiles.
Shoebills mate for life and lay three eggs in a clutch.
Shoebills are primarily solitary but mate for life and typically lay three eggs in a single nest. However, due to competition among the chicks, usually only one survives to adulthood. This often is the first-hatched chick, which is larger and can compete for food with its siblings or even kill them. The second or third chicks essentially serve as a backup in case the first does not survive. This behavior was documented in the wildlife program Africa by naturalist David Attenborough, where the earlier-hatched chick was seen pecking at its sibling. When the mother returns, she shows no interest in the weaker chick.
The Shoebill is the only member of the genus Balaeniceps and belongs to the family Balaenicipitidae. Its closest living relatives are pelicans. Its ancestors emerged from the Pelecaniformes order at the end of the Cretaceous period (66 – 145 million years ago). This large-billed bird is classified as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, with an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
