Their beaks can reach up to 24cm in length and 20cm (7.4 to 9.4 inches) in width, which. However, it does occasionally hunt and eat other prey, such as frogs, lizards, watersnakes, snails and rodents. According to the IUCN, there are only between 3,300 and 5,300 shoebills left in the wild today. The shoebill is piscivorous, primarily eating fish in particular lungfish, as well as bichirs, tilapia and catfish. Sadly, the population of these odd animals has declined drastically due to overhunting and the diminishing of their wetland habitat. When its prey is close enough, the shoebill will lunge using its formidable beak, effectively crushing its prey in a single swoop. Shoebills hunt during the day, using a stealth method of waiting for unassuming prey like frogs, lungfish, and even baby crocodiles. But its most obvious use is as a hunting weapon. It's also used as a practical tool to scoop water from nearby rivers and lakes and feed their young.
This weird animal uses it to produce machine gun-like noises which can attract mates and deter predators. The shoebill's impressive beak serves multiple purposes. In lieu of the large snouts of their distant cousins, modern birds have evolved beaks instead. While it's true that birds evolved from a group of meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods, birds were also descended from a branch of much smaller theropods. They are entirely gray, with broad wings and long legs. Shoebills stand about 115 cm (3.8 feet) tall. The shoebill's appearance is downright Triassic, which is why they're commonly compared to dinosaurs. This big bird also eats turtles, fish, and young crocodiles. But they were ultimately classified in an avian family of its own, the Balaenicipitidae. Shoebills also share a few physical traits with herons, such as their powder-down feathers and their habit of flying with their neck retracted. Over time, however, scientists discovered that the shoebill actually shares more common traits with pelicans, particularly their violent hunting method. When the strange animal was first identified, scientists mistook it for a species of stork. But the strength of this bird's massive beak is no laughing matter, as it is the third-longest bill among avian species in the world. Its intimidating hollow beak resembles a heavy Dutch clog, which is where the Shoebill's somewhat silly moniker comes from.
If any bird best displays the genetic relation between birds and dinosaurs, it's the shoebill pelican, a prehistoric-looking beast with a propensity for munching on crocodiles.įound in the freshwater swamps of Africa, the shoebill ( Balaeniceps rex) stands at an average height of four and a half feet and possesses a massive seven-inch beak strong enough to tear through a baby crocodile.
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