Shoebill
Encyclopedia
The Shoebill also known as Whalehead or Shoe-billed Stork, is a very large stork
-like bird. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill
. The adult bird is 115 to 150 cm (45.3 to 59.1 in) tall, 100 to 140 cm (39.4 to 55.1 in) long, 230 to 260 cm (90.6 to 102.4 in) across the wingspan and weighs 4 to 7 kg (8.8 to 15.4 lb). Their beaks have an average length of length of 30 centimetres (11.8 in). The adult is mainly grey while the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa
in large swamps from Sudan
to Zambia
.
. It was not until years later that live specimens reached the scientific community. However, the bird was known to both ancient Egyptians
and Arabs. There are Egyptian images depicting the Shoebill, while the Arabs referred to the bird as abu markub, which means one with a shoe, a reference to the bird's distinctive bill.
The Shoebill is one of the bird taxa whose taxonomic treatment is murky. Traditionally allied with the stork
s (Ciconiiformes
), it was retained there in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
which lumped a massive number of unrelated taxa into their "Ciconiiformes". More recently, the shoebill has been considered to be closer to the pelican
s (based on anatomical comparisons; Mayr, 2003) or the heron
s (based on biochemical evidence; Hagey et al., 2002). A recent DNA study suggests they are part of the Pelecaniformes
.
The dispute has turned out to be mainly one of where to draw the boundary between Ciconiiformes and Pelecaniformes, or whether to draw it at all. Since cormorant
s and relatives are probably not actually Pelecaniformes, a solution adopted by some modern authors is to merge the "core" Pelecaniformes with the Ciconiiformes. The Shoebill and the Hammerkop
(Scopus umbretta) are the "missing link
s" that connect pelicans and storks, and including the pelican lineage in the Ciconiiformes expresses this more adequately than other treatments do.
So far, two fossil 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.
s, reptiles such as baby crocodile
s, and small mammals. They nest on the ground and lay from 1 to 3 eggs, usually during the dry season. These eggs measure 80 to 90 mm (3.1 to 3.5 in) x 57 to 61 mm (2.2 to 2.4 in). Both parents incubate the eggs for about a month. The newborn chicks will be able to fly after about 100 days, while it will take them 3 years before they become fully sexually mature.
have classified it as Vulnerable
with the main threats being habitat destruction
, disturbance and hunting.
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
-like bird. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
. The adult bird is 115 to 150 cm (45.3 to 59.1 in) tall, 100 to 140 cm (39.4 to 55.1 in) long, 230 to 260 cm (90.6 to 102.4 in) across the wingspan and weighs 4 to 7 kg (8.8 to 15.4 lb). Their beaks have an average length of length of 30 centimetres (11.8 in). The adult is mainly grey while the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
in large swamps from Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
to Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
Taxonomy
This species was only classified in the 19th century when some skins were brought to EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It was not until years later that live specimens reached the scientific community. However, the bird was known to both ancient Egyptians
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
and Arabs. There are Egyptian images depicting the Shoebill, while the Arabs referred to the bird as abu markub, which means one with a shoe, a reference to the bird's distinctive bill.
The Shoebill is one of the bird taxa whose taxonomic treatment is murky. Traditionally allied with the stork
Stork
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
s (Ciconiiformes
Ciconiiformes
Traditionally, the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large, long-legged wading birds with large bills: storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and several others. Ciconiiformes are known from the Late Eocene...
), it was retained there in the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy
The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a bird taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. It is based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies conducted in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s....
which lumped a massive number of unrelated taxa into their "Ciconiiformes". More recently, the shoebill has been considered to be closer to the pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s (based on anatomical comparisons; Mayr, 2003) or the heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s (based on biochemical evidence; Hagey et al., 2002). A recent DNA study suggests they are part of the Pelecaniformes
Pelecaniformes
The Pelecaniformes is a order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. As traditionally—but erroneously—defined, they encompass all birds that have feet with all four toes webbed. Hence, they were formerly also known by such names as totipalmates or steganopodes...
.
The dispute has turned out to be mainly one of where to draw the boundary between Ciconiiformes and Pelecaniformes, or whether to draw it at all. Since cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s and relatives are probably not actually Pelecaniformes, a solution adopted by some modern authors is to merge the "core" Pelecaniformes with the Ciconiiformes. The Shoebill and the Hammerkop
Hammerkop
The Hamerkop , also known as Hammerkop,Hammerkopf, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Umber, or Anvilhead, is a medium-sized wading bird...
(Scopus umbretta) are the "missing link
Missing Link
Missing link is a nonscientific term for any transitional fossil, especially one connected with human evolution; see Transitional fossil - Missing links and List of transitonal fossils - Human evolution.Missing Link may refer to:...
s" that connect pelicans and storks, and including the pelican lineage in the Ciconiiformes expresses this more adequately than other treatments do.
So far, two fossil relatives of the shoebill have been described: Goliathia from the early Oligocene
Oligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Paludavis from the Early Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
of the same country. It has been suggested that the enigmatic African fossil bird Eremopezus
Eremopezus
Eremopezus is a prehistoric bird genus. It is known only from the fossil remains of a single species,the huge and presumably flightless Eremopezus eocaenus. This was found in Upper Eocene Jebel Qatrani Formation deposits around the Qasr el-Sagha escarpment, north of the Birket Qarun lake near...
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.
Ecology and behavior
Shoebills feed in muddy waters, preying on fish, frogFrog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, reptiles such as baby crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s, and small mammals. They nest on the ground and lay from 1 to 3 eggs, usually during the dry season. These eggs measure 80 to 90 mm (3.1 to 3.5 in) x 57 to 61 mm (2.2 to 2.4 in). Both parents incubate the eggs for about a month. The newborn chicks will be able to fly after about 100 days, while it will take them 3 years before they become fully sexually mature.
Relationship with humans
This species is considered to be one of the five most desirable birds in Africa by ornithologists.Conservation
The population is estimated at between 5,000 and 8,000 individuals, the majority of which live in Sudan. BirdLife InternationalBirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
have classified it as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
with the main threats being habitat destruction
Habitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
, disturbance and hunting.
External links
- Shoebill.com - Information
- ARKive - images and movies of the Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
- BirdLife Species Factsheet