![]() They’re sensitive to people and can abandon a nest if disturbed by humans.They’re also mostly sedentary, but will sometimes move as water levels change.They’re known for being able to stand still for a long time, often hours as they wait for prey.But they’re sometimes seem in some other environments such as farms. Shoebills like swamps with mixed vegetation.Their feet are also huge, which is helpful when you live in a swamp.The upper mandible has a very sharp nail at the end.The side edges of the bill are sharp, which help them decapitate their prey and mow grass to expose prey.At 24 cm, they have the third longest bill after pelicans and storks.Their bill has a bigger circumference than the aforementioned birds.But despite their size they only weigh about 4-7 kg, which is a testament to bird’s light hollow bones.Their wings flap about 150 times a minute, which is among the lowest among all birds.When flying, they retract their necks, like pelicans.Their wings are broad and good for soaring. For context, Lebron James’ wingspan is 218 cm, shorter than an adult shoebill’s. Their wingspan ranges from 230 cm to 260 cm.And the tallest one ever found was 152 cm tall. ![]() A giant bird who could be over 2 meters tall.The only confirmed ancestor of the shoebill is the Golithia.Their population is declining in some parts of its range.50 to 80% of the population lives in South Sudan.But some vagrants have been spotted as far west as the Congo River. They live in eastern Africa, usually in swamps, from Sudan to Zambia.Perhaps interestingly, before DNA testing was commonplace, one of the first clues about their place in the bird family tree was that their eggs have pretty much the same eggshell, or “ crystallized eggshell and the accessory material (cuticle and cover) located in the outer surface of the shell”. ![]()
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