Shoebill
Shoebill | |
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At the Pairi Daiza in Brugelette, Belgium | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Pelecaniformes |
Family: | Balaenicipitidae |
Genus: | Balaeniceps Gould, 1850 |
Species: | B. rex
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Binomial name | |
Balaeniceps rex Gould, 1850
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range |
The shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), also known as the whalebill, whale-headed stork, and shoe-billed stork, is a large long-legged wading bird. It derives its name from its enormous shoe-shaped
Taxonomy
The shoebill may have been known to
Traditionally considered as allied with the
So far, two fossilized relatives of the shoebill have been described: Goliathia from the early Oligocene of Egypt and Paludavis from the Early Miocene of the same country. It has been suggested that the enigmatic African fossil bird Eremopezus was a relative too, but the evidence for that is unconfirmed. All that is known of Eremopezus is that it was a very large, probably flightless bird with a flexible foot, allowing it to handle either vegetation or prey.
Description
The shoebill is a tall bird, with a typical height range of 110 to 140 cm (43 to 55 in) and some specimens reaching as much as 152 cm (60 in). Length from tail to beak can range from 100 to 140 cm (39 to 55 in) and wingspan is 230 to 260 cm (7 ft 7 in to 8 ft 6 in). Weight has reportedly ranged from 4 to 7 kg (8.8 to 15.4 lb). A male will weigh on average around 5.6 kg (12 lb) and is larger than a typical female of 4.9 kg (11 lb).
The plumage of adult birds is blue-grey with darker
Voice
The shoebill is normally silent, but they perform bill-clattering displays at the nest.[9] When engaging in these displays, adult birds have also been noted to utter a cow-like moo as well as high-pitched whines. Both nestlings and adults engage in bill-clattering during the nesting season as a means of communication. When young are begging for food, they call out with a sound uncannily like human hiccups. In one case, a flying adult bird was heard uttering hoarse croaks, apparently as a sign of aggression at a nearby marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus).[15]
Flight pattern
Its wings are held flat while soaring and, as in the pelicans and the storks of the genus Leptoptilos, the shoebill flies with its neck retracted. Its flapping rate, at an estimated 150 flaps per minute, is one of the slowest of any bird, with the exception of the larger stork species. The pattern is alternating flapping and gliding cycles of approximately seven seconds each, putting its gliding distance somewhere between the larger storks and the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus). When flushed, shoebills usually try to fly no more than 100 to 500 m (330 to 1,640 ft).[15] Long flights of the shoebill are rare, and only a few flights beyond its minimum foraging distance of 20 m (66 ft) have been recorded.
Distribution and habitat
The shoebill is distributed in freshwater swamps of central tropical Africa, from southern
Petroglyphs from Oued Djerat, eastern Algeria, show that the shoebill occurred during the Early Holocene much more to the north, in the wetlands that covered the present-day Sahara Desert at that time.[17]
The shoebill occurs in extensive, dense freshwater
Behaviour and ecology
The shoebill is noted for its slow movements and tendency to stay still for long periods, resulting in descriptions of the species as "statue-like". They are quite sensitive to human disturbance and may abandon their nests if flushed by humans. However, while foraging, if dense vegetation stands between it and humans, this wader can be fairly tame. The shoebill is attracted to poorly oxygenated waters such as swamps, marshes, and bogs where fish frequently surface to breathe. They also seem to exhibit migratory behaviors based upon differences in the surface water level. Immature shoebills abandon nesting sites which increased in the surface water level whereas adult shoebills abandon nesting sites which decreased in surface water level. It is suggested that both adult and immature shoebills prefer nesting sites with similar surface water levels.[18] Exceptionally for a bird this large, the shoebill often stands and perches on floating vegetation, making them appear somewhat like a giant jacana, although the similarly sized and occasionally sympatric Goliath heron (Ardea goliath) is also known to stand on aquatic vegetation. Shoebills, being solitary, forage at 20 m (66 ft) or more from one another even where relatively densely populated. This species stalks its prey patiently, in a slow and lurking fashion. While hunting, the shoebill strides very slowly and is frequently motionless. Unlike some other large waders, this species hunts entirely using vision and is not known to engage in tactile hunting. When prey is spotted, it launches a quick violent strike. However, depending on the size of the prey, handling time after the strike can exceed 10 minutes. Around 60% of strikes yield prey. Frequently water and vegetation is snatched up during the strike and is spilled out from the edges of the mandibles. The activity of hippopotamus may inadvertently benefit the shoebill, as submerged hippos occasionally force fish to the surface.[15]
Breeding
The solitary nature of shoebills extends to their breeding habits. Nests typically occur at less than three nests per square kilometre, unlike herons,
Shoebills are elusive when nesting, so cameras must be placed to observe them from afar to collect behavioral data. There is an advantage for birds that are early breeders, as the chicks are tended for a longer period.[20]
Diet
Shoebills are largely
Given its sharp-edged beak, huge bill, and wide gape, the shoebill can hunt large prey, often targeting prey bigger than is taken by other large wading birds. In the
Relationship to humans
This species is considered to be one of the five most desirable birds in Africa by
Appearances in popular culture
Beginning in 2014 and with various interspersed surges of attention since then, the shoebill has become the subject of internet memes, in part due to its intimidating demeanor and tendency to stand still for long periods of time. One such example is a video of a shoebill standing in the rain whilst staring into the camera. These memes have since also appeared on the social media platform TikTok, bringing a comparatively unknown species of bird into popular culture.[29][30] Even before that, the shoebill inspired the design of the fictional Loftwing birds of the 2011 game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.[31][32]
Status and conservation
The population is estimated at between 5,000 and 8,000 individuals, the majority of which live in swamps in South Sudan, Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.[33] There is also a viable population in the Malagarasi wetlands in Tanzania.[34] BirdLife International has classified it as Vulnerable with the main threats being habitat destruction, disturbance and hunting. The bird is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).[35] Habitat destruction and degradation, hunting, disturbance and illegal capture are all contributing factors to the decline of this species. Agriculture cultivation and pasture for cattle have also caused significant habitat loss. Indigenous communities that surround Shoebill habitats capture their eggs and chicks for human consumption and for trade. Frequent fires in southern Sudan and deliberate fires for grazing access contribute to habitat loss. Lastly, swamps in Sudan are being drained for construction of a nearby canal that allows for artificial control of nearby waterways.[28]
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ISBN 9789774241857.
- ^ Gould, John (1850). "Scientific: Zoological". Athenaeum (1207): 1315.
- .
- ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 252–253.
- ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- S2CID 4260563.
- ^ ISBN 84-87334-10-5.
- .
- doi:10.1139/z95-207.
- S2CID 36046887. Archived from the original(PDF) on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
- PMID 11971938.
- S2CID 6472805.
- ^ ISBN 0-12-322730-5.
- ^ Steffen, Angie. "Balaeniceps rex (shoebill)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ Oeschger, E. (2004). "Sahara - Algeria - Rock Art in Oued Derat and the Tefedest Region" (PDF). Adoranten. 2004: 5–19.
- PMID 34349159.
- ^ .
- S2CID 84828980.
- ^ a b John, Jasson; Lee, Woo (2019). "Kleptoparasitism of Shoebills Balaeniceps rex by African Fish Eagles Haliaeetus vocifer in Western Tanzania". Tanzania Journal of Science. 45 (2): 131–143.
- doi:10.5962/p.308857.
- ^ .
- ^ "Balaeniceps rex (Shoebill)". Animal Diversity Web.
- S2CID 84194123.
- OCLC 22707869.
- ^ "Balaeniceps rex (shoebill)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ .
- ^ "Shoebill Stork". Know Your Meme. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ Vidal, Nicholas (28 March 2023). "Extinction, Climate Change and Shoebills Oh My!". The Montclarion. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- . Retrieved 28 January 2024.
Pero por mucho que la forma del pico del ave esté inspirada en el picozapato (Shoebill en inglés, balaeniceps rex en latín), un ave de color gris del África tropical y oriental, lo que más destaca en la imagen de Loftwing no es su pico sino sus alas.
[formatting original] - ISBN 978-1-6165-5041-7.
Loftwings are modeled after birds called shoebills [...] — Hiraoka, designer
- OCLC 7649557.
- .
- ^ "Appendices I, II and III". Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
Further reading
- Guillet, A (1978). "Distribution and conservation of the Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) in the Southern Sudan". Biological Conservation. 13 (1): 39–50. .