#shoebill stork

[piratedllama-art]

Quarters only, please [x <- prints here]

(done in procreate)

[rolitae]

Shoebill is finished, I think? 🧡 tip | comms | shop

[life-on-our-planet]

🪶👞shoebill stork👞🪶

[theyshapedlikefriends]

Colorata Magnet Mascot Shoebill

[eggsistential-breakdown]

Was inspired by this post by @mist-the-wannabe-linguist drawing the outfits from this "steal her look" bird post by @tenderanarchist, @inthefallofasparrow, @floral-hydrate, and @octy-in-boots. please click for higher quality or i'll cry

[sneepsnorp3d]

oh my god he's been studying the blade.............

[plush-birds]

Shoebill 🩶 Sun Arrow

[bob-artist]

For my October inking challenge, I've decided to draw iconic hairstyles

and birds.

Shoebill with Beyoncé's high ponytail

Bittern with Farrah Fawcett waves

Blue-footed booby with the Rachel

[beardedmrbean]

Can't tell if this feels ominous, threatening, or comforting

[affectionatecorpse]

I'm very obsessed with birdkins because the vast majority of them are so so beautiful. The ones with vibrant colours that brighten the room. The ones that make me feel like I'm looking into deep space as I admire their wings. The ones with elegance and grace that just steal your focus. The ones so small and precious that you just want to cup in your hands gently. The ones that run so fast on legs so very powerful. The ones that sing like the wind on a beautiful lukewarm day. The ones with such pride and strength in their eyes as they soar higher than the others.

And then there's my shoebill ass self just staring at them like

[uncharismatic-fauna]

A Shoo-in Shoebill Stork

The shoebill stork, also known as the whalebill stork or Balaeniceps rex is in fact not a stork at all, but a long-legged wading bird belonging to the family Pelecaniformes. This species can be found in the central African tropics, from southern Sudan to northern Tanzania. Within this range, they mainly inhabit freshwater swamps and dense marshes, particularly those with deep water large reed beds.

Balaeniceps rex is often referred to as a dinosaur among birds due to its fearsome appearance. The average individual stands 1.1-1.4 m (3.6-4.5 ft) tall and has a wingspan of 2.3 to 2.6 m (7.5 to 8.5 in). However, adults are quite light, weighing only 4 to 7 kg (8.8 to 15.4 lb). Males tend to be larger than females, but otherwise the two sexes look identical. Adults have dark grey plumage with a lighter belly and darker wings. Their most striking feature is their beak, which is extremely large and can be said to resemble a wooden show (hence the name).

The shoebill's beak is very useful for catching its primary prey: fish. B. rex consumes a variety of species, including lungfish, catfish, and tilapia, as well as non-fish items like water snakes, frogs, turtles, mollusks, and even young crocodiles. Shoebills typically stalk their prey, or stand perfectly still and wait for their prey to come to them, before quickly snatching it up and decapitating it with the sharp edges of their beaks. Because of their large size and strong bills, adults are seldom prey for other animals, and they defend their nests fiercely from predators like snakes and other birds.

Outside of the breeding season-- and even during it-- shoebills are extremely territorial. Not only do they chase potential predators away from their nests, both males and females will fiercely defend their territory from other shoebills.

Breeding begins in the dry season, typically in in May, and lasts until about October. Once a male and female form a pair, they remain together for the duration of the mating season. They build a nest from floating vegetation, and 1-3 eggs are cared for by both parents; in addition to being incubated for warmth, one parent may also occasionally pour a beak-full of water over the eggs to keep them cool during the hot summer day. The eggs hatch about 30 days after being laid, and young are fed continuously-- though usually only one chick survives to adulthood. At 125 days old they become fully independent and leave to establish their own territories. The average individual can live up to 35 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The IUCN lists the whalebill stork as Vulnerable. Current wild population estimates sit at about 5,000-8,000 individuals. Primary threats include poaching for the zoo trade and consumption, habitat destruction, and pollution.

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Photos

Santiago Caballero Carrera

George Amato

Mana Meadows

[errantsquam]

Instant follow when I saw your shoebill art

Thank you... Have another shoebill

[theyshapedlikefriends]

Amuse (Amufun) Puchimaru Shoebill

[goddamnmotherfuckingblogname]

I cannot express to you how much I love this bird

[ridiculousbirdfaces]

Shoebill Stork by ToddLahman Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex)