Fun facts about the Shoebill Stork

Fun facts about the Shoebill Stork : The shoe bill stork is one of the famous birds in the wild almost sought after by bird loving travelling who want to see these birds in their habitat and up-close and personal. The shoe bill stork is found in almost all the east African countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and the democratic republic of Congo. Well because this bird is popular, we want to shine alight on some of the fun facts you should know about this bird. These facts herein are just some of the unique characteristics, behaviors, and traits of the Shoebill Stork. Definitively this list is not exhaustive but it is a starting point for you to get to know this intriguing bird better.

• The shoe bill stork is Scientific called the Balaeniceps rex from the bird family Balaenicipitidae and Order Pelecaniformes.
• The shoebill stork is mainly concentrated in the East African region and lives in Wetlands, marshes, and grasslands. You will have a great chance finding it in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth national park along the kazinga channel.
• This bird has a length of 43-55 inches (110-140 cm), a weight of 7-10 pounds (3-4.5 kg) and a wingspan of 7-8 feet (2.1-2.4 meters) for the adults. The numbers are lower for the young birds and vary for the male and female birds.
• The shoebill stork has a plumage that varies in color from grey, blue-grey, and white. What makes this bird distinctive is the shoe-shaped bill.
• The shoe bill stork is a carnivorous bird feeding on mainly small water animals like the fish, frogs and others.
• This bird is a solitary bird that breeds monogamously in lush vegetation, rocks, and termite mounds among its many nesting places.
• In terms of multiplying the female shoe bill stork lays a clutch of 1-3 eggs that take about 30-40 days incubation before they hatch into young ones that are taken care of by both the male and female birds. The entire period of mating, laying the eggs and hatching takes between 70-100 days. In this period the bird displays a unique courtship with mating ritual involving bill-clattering.
• The shoe bill makes loud booming calls to communicate and have a very stand out gait.
• The birds have a lifespan of 20 – 25 years in the wild and about 35 years in captivity.
• The birds though usually seen on water shores just looking lazy they can move at a speed of 30 km/h (18.6 mph). this supported by their broad, flat wings and impeccable flier. They can also stay in air for quite long periods.

  

• The bird has sharp talons and uses the bill to catch prey. They hunt in the night with the highly specialized bill sensitive to touch used to poke the prey area. The poking is helped by the bird’s exceptional night vision.
• It adapts to weather using its unique feather structure which help the bird with insulation and camouflage.
• The shoe bill stock is listed on the IUCN Red List as a threatened species due to habitat loss to human activity. A lot of conservation efforts for this bird include bird viewing that raises money for campaigns of the bird’s habitat protection, research, and education.