The Shoebill

Friday, July 27, 2018

The shoebill, sometimes called the whalehead (or "monster-bird" in my book), might look like a funky crane but it is most closely related to the pelican.

someinterestingfacts.net

It has the largest solid beak of any bird known to man. (The pelican has a remarkable beak in its own right but a large portion of it is soft tissue.) 

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This critter looks a bit like a cartoon character with its huge bill, little feathers sticking up on the back of its head, and innocent-looking eyes.

Shoebill — Heckle or Jeckle — Kevin from “Up”

But don't let him fool you. This is one freaky feathered fiend.

Shoebills are solitary birds, only getting together to reproduce. To assure that they don't have any sibling rivalry throughout their 35 years of life, the first of the two chicks in the nest to hatch slowly murders the other. And mom goes along with this behavior, selectively feeding and watering the heir-apparent and neglecting the outcast. Then when the chosen one is about 3-4 months old, mom hits the road and doesn't look back.


Shoebill Chick Reveals Darkside / Africa / BBC - YouTube

Because they are alone all the time, shoebills very rarely "say" anything. They do, however, clack their upper and lower bills together in rapid succession making a sound not unlike a machine gun. This video shows a "monster-bird" in captivity making this sound. Late in the clip you will see the zookeeper standing pretty much face to face with the bird, giving you an idea of how big he is.


Shoebill clapping and feeding / Asa Kaplan - YouTube

Shoebills are native to the marshlands of eastern Africa and hunt in the shallow waters. At feeding time a shoebill will stand very patiently waiting for some poor unsuspecting prey to swim up and then will lunge forward and catch it in his beak along with grasses and mud and other smaller fish. Then the bird flings his head back and forth to let the extraneous stuff fall out. With the captive in his beak, he opens his bill slightly to release his grip and to give the prey a chance to stick its head out, looking for a pathway of escape. WHACK! The "guillotine" snaps shut, severing the head from the prey and the "monster-bird" swallows the body whole. Lovely. (Forgive me for not providing a video.) Dinner might consist of fish, ducks, eels, or even crocodiles. 

And if this doesn't make them nasty enough lets add some smell to the scenario. One of the ways these "monster-birds" cool themselves in the heat of Africa is to poop on their own legs. Yes, I said that. 

wall.alphacoders.com

Now don't look at me like that, you fiendish monster of a bird. I don't buy it for one minute. You are NOT cute. Actually I might have nightmares tonight!