With the prey firmly clamped, the bird violently swings its head back and forth. When the shoebill launches an attack, it literally impales the prey inside its mouth.
African shoebill storks skin#
This bill culminates in a powerful hooked-over culmen that’s capable of piercing the skin of its prey. It must have been named by colonialists who believed the bill was so large it could fit a shoe. These giant birds are named after their huge bills (also known as a beak). Shoebill Stork Attack and Decapitate Their Prey Imagine a 1.3-meter bird lunging at you with a razored beak! 6. Remember, these birds are large enough to pass the height test for any theme park ride. That includes mud, water, grass, and its target. When prey comes within range, the shoebill lunges forward, opens its beak, and grabs everything in range. And then bam! The crocodile has been captured in a violent and instant strike! They stand motionless, not moving a single feather. Instead of wasting energy flying around, a shoebill will find a prime spot of swamp and play dead.
African shoebill storks how to#
When shoebills hunt, they know exactly how to find what they want. Shoebill Hunting Techniques (They’re Stealthy) Though this can be intimidating given that, when you put a shoebill stork next to a person, they are tall enough to meet them at eye level. The shoebill bird will not threaten humans they will simply stare back. Researchers have been able to come within six feet of these prehistoric birds and their nests. In fact, shoebill storks are very docile towards humans. However, we cannot confirm this as these birds are highly unlikely to attack humans. Are Shoebills Dangerous to Humans?Ĭan a shoebill stork kill you? Well, considering they are likely to win the “shoebill vs crocodile” war, one could say maybe. Among their preferred victims are catfish, lungfish, and tilapia.Īlong with these piscivorous habits, the shoebill will prey on turtles, snails, rodents, waterfowl, frogs, water snakes, monitor lizards, and Nile crocodiles. Shoebills do have strong stomachs and can wolf down just about any animal. That’s not to say that large antelope and crocodiles are part of their everyday diet. Wondering what do shoebills eat? While they are known as the bird that eats crocodiles, there is much more to the shoebill stork diet. But even just to suggest such a thing is an indication of how successful these birds can be. Baby red lechwe only weigh a few kilograms, and they may end up wading straight into a shoebill trap.ĭo note that these shoebill versus red lechwe reports are unconfirmed. They will use the water to stay clear of predators. Shoebills have also been known to hunt and kill red lechwe, a semi-aquatic antelope that lives in the swamps of Botswana and Zambia.įully-grown red lechwe weigh over 100 kg. A baby Nile crocodile isn’t even a challenge for these hunting birds.
The remarkable thing is that crocodiles aren’t even the largest of their prey.
Shoebill stork eating crocodile? While hard to believe, it is true.
Shoebill Eating Crocodile? Yes, It’s True With a wingspan of over 2 ½ meters, the shoebill can fly effortlessly across the African skies, although it doesn’t tend to fly very far. Swans are scary enough, and they don’t have a razor-like beak. Males hit the scales at a solid 5-6 kg, with the biggest individuals coming in at over 7 kg (15 lb).įemales are only slightly smaller, and really, a bird that big is always going to be unpredictable. Measure from the bill to the beak and that’s also a good 1.3 meters. Shoebills measure over a meter in height, and most mature specimens reach 1.3 meters. Shoebill Stork Size (They’re Enormous)īefore questioning the crocodile diet you need to understand just how big these birds are. Interested in learning about another not-so-pretty bird?Ĭheck out these interesting facts about the marabou stork. To learn more about the shoebill, here are 17 amazing facts. This is probably the most bizarre bird in the world. They also look like some kind of prehistoric leftover, with a jagged shoe-shaped bill that seems to come from fiction. Not only that, shoebills make a noise that sounds like a machine gun on auto fire. Yep, it is true that this African bird hunts crocodiles, along with other animals like snakes and monitor lizards. The shoebill is so badass that it eats crocodiles.
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