[Animals]Shoebill: The human-sized African bird that eats baby crocodiles and kills its siblings

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Shoebills reach up to 5 feet in height and they are formidable ambush predators, standing still in swamps before lunging forward to swallow their prey whole with their giant bills.

Although sometimes incorrectly referred to as a stork, the shoebill is actually the only member of the Balaeniceps genus and the wider family Balaenicipitidae. (Image credit: Marek Mihulka via Shutterstock) Name: Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) Where it lives: Marshes and swamps in East Africa What it eats: Fish and reptiles

Why it's awesome: This menacing and prehistoric-looking bird can grow up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall – and is equipped with a sharp-edged, 1-foot-long (0.3 meter) bill — the third-largest bird beak in the world. Its giant bill and long, skinny legs make it a formidable ambush predator —standing completely still before lunging forward to grab unsuspecting prey and swallow it whole. A 2015 study published in the Journal of African Ornithology found that catfish were its most common prey, making up around 71% of its meals. However, the shoebill is also known to feast on eels, snakes and even baby crocodiles. CLOSE Shoebills are mostly solitary, but breeding pairs are monogamous and lay up to three eggs in a clutch — though, due to rivalry between siblings, usually only one survives to adulthood. This is typically the larger first-born, which either out-competes any siblings for food, or kills them.

https://www.livescience.com/animals/shoebill-the-human-sized-african-bird-that-eats-baby-crocodiles-and-kills-its-siblings