![]() Bird collectors, especially in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, will pay up to $10,000 for Shoebill eggs and live chicks. Shoebills live in swamps and wetlands in remote parts of Northeastern Africa (Southern Sudan, Northern Uganda, Western Tanzania, Northeastern Zambia, Zaire and Rwanda) and their population has been drastically reduced due to illegal poaching, nest disturbance and habitat loss. However, their favorite meal is lungfish. They’ve even snatched small reptiles like baby crocodiles when the opportunity arises. Shoebills aren’t picky, they’ll eat a wide variety of small prey, ranging from fish to amphibians. They’re fierce hunters, silently stalking their prey, until.WHAM, they swiftly lean their big head down and forward risking a tumble for a well-deserved snack. The Shoebill uses its clog-shaped bill to scoop up and decapitate its prey, as well as bring water to its chicks to keep them cool in the hot African sun. These birds are so unique looking they have even been found on ancient Egyptian artwork. ![]() They don’t talk much, but when they do, their machine gun clatter just might make you duck for cover. Shoebills’ penetrating “death” stare will stop you dead in your tracks. And if you think you can win in a staring contest with one of these guys, think again. Some refer to this bird as the whale-headed stork or Abu-Markhub, which means “father of a slipper” in Arabic, because its bill looks like a large slipper. It’s actually more closely related to pelicans. You’d think with a common name like the shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex), this four-foot-tall monstrosity, with wings spanning seven feet across, would be in the stork family. Photo: Shoebill, Dixie Sommers The Shoebill: A Slippery Story
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