Especially for those people who believe these birds are a negative sign to them, they kill them to cleanse their lands. These birds have also been reduced due to the continued hunting by human beings. When fishermen see these birds in water bodies they normally sense bad luck all day long. These birds face a lot of resentment from some communities where they are considered to be a sign of a bad omen. The decrease of these birds has been mostly due to the destruction of their habitat leaving them with nowhere to stay. These birds are extremely solitary birds therefore, it might be difficult to spot them. Shoebill storks are a critically endangered species today. This enables it to have great speed especially when it is running. The body of a shoebill is also very robust, especially around its neck. The shoebill is a tall bird of about 1 to 1.4 meters with tall legs which enable it to move fast. How Fast Can A Shoebill Run?Ī shoebill has an average speed of about 20 to 30 mph (35 to 48 kph). When all the unwanted material is gone and is left with the prey, they start crushing from the head. The shoebills move their bills up and down and sideways in a bid to get rid of the mud which is together with the prey. When they notice there is prey nearby, they surge forward slowly and opening their large bill, they catch the prey together with any mud which was surrounding it. The shoebills can feed on baby crocodiles, lizards and other huge fish like catfish and lungfish. However, while in the swampy areas they stay on the water surface being as patient and calm as possible as they wait to spot some prey. This can be attributed to the speed at which they flap their large wings which are about 150 times per every minute as compared to other birds which can be 500 times in one minute. Whenever they fly, the shoebills do not go over a long distance while still flying. The wings of a shoebill have a length of about 2.5 meters. Can A Shoebill Fly?ĭespite the large size of the Shoebill, a shoebill can fly whenever it wants to. Both parents, the male and female, share the duty of taking care of their young ones. Their nests can be up to eight feet wide with the females laying about two eggs at the closure of the rainy period. Since their habitat is the swampy area, that is still where their breeding process takes place. These birds like being on their own and it’s quite rare to see a large group of them. The shoebills are said to be fully grown and mature once they attain three or four years. Shoebills live for approximately 36 years. Shoebills have a short neck (unlike their pelican relatives).Shoebills have gray plumage (it starts out brown then turns gray as shoebills age).Shoebills have massive, powerful spoon-like bills.Shoebill’s average weight is 12 lbs (male shoebills weigh more than female shoebills).Shoebill’s average size is 40-50 inches.South Luangwa National Park How Long Do Shoebills Live? Shoebills are ancient birds that have been recognized by humans all the way back to the time of ancient Egypt. The shoebill was mislabeled as a stork for a long time, but was eventually relocated to the pelican group and is also considered to be somewhat similar to a heron. Shoebill birds lay eggs that are similar to that of a pelican and also share some DNA with pelicans. The shoebill usually comes in between 40 and 50 inches, although it may be slightly larger than this depending on the individual bird. Male shoebill birds usually weigh around 12 pounds and are a little bit heavier than female shoebills, but not by much. All shoebill birds have massive spoon-like bills and feature gray plumage that is brown when they’re younger. Although their body and wings are shaped somewhat like a condor, shoebills are not related to this type of bird.īy su neko – Shoebill　~ハシビロコウ~, CC BY 2.0, They have a large wingspan meant for soaring and short necks, unlike their stork and pelican relatives. This means that, while the shoebill is not endangered yet, it is on its way to that point due to habitat destruction and hunting. Shoebill’s scientific name = Balaeniceps Rex.Conservation efforts are in place to prevent the shoebill from reaching endangered classification. The scientific name of the shoebill is Balaeniceps rex. The Balaeniceps genus comes from the family Balaenicipitidae, which includes only the shoebill and the hamerkop. Shoebills do not have different species.The hamerkop is much smaller than a shoebill and doesn’t look very similar to the shoebill, despite being part of the same family. There is only one type of shoebill, but there are two known prehistoric relatives of this type of bird. The first is called Goliathia and was found in Egypt, and the second is called Paludavis and was also found in Egpyt, but fossilized at a different time period.

Shoebill stork height