The shoebill gets its name from its huge bill, which looks like a shoe. It is also called the whale-headed stork. It is a unique bird that looks like it belongs to an era past. They vaguely resemble storks, pelicans, hamerkops, and herons.
The shoebill is only found in Africa. It lives in places with a lot of papyrus grass and large reed swamps. It can also be found in flooded marshes with plants that float on the water, but papyrus is its favorite food.
It lives and breeds in the tropical eastern African countries of Zambia, Sudan, and western Ethiopia. They usually eat at night when the water is shallow. It stays still, like a heron waiting for a meal. Then, it attacks quickly and hard when it finds and picks its prey. The bird grabs its prey out of the water with a hooked bill that quickly grabs, crushes, and pierces.
Distribution
Central Af. Rep.
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Ethiopia
Rwanda
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
ZambiaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
