It’s characterized by long, spindly legs, blue to grey plumage, a powdered down on the breast and stomach, and a small tuft of feathers at the back of the head that forms a crest.

The appearance of the shoebill stork has sometimes been likened to a dinosaur. See all of our entertaining and insightful animal articles. Shoebill Stork vs Crocodile: Who Would Win in a Fight?.Scary Animals: The 10 Creepiest Animals in the World.The Top 10 Highest Flying Birds in the World.The bird’s territorial range coincides very strongly with the occurrence of the papyrus plant.ĭo you want to learn more about Shoebill Stork? Read “10 Incredible Shoebill Stork Facts”.Shoebills will fiercely guard a territory stretching more than a square mile.While in flight, the shoebill retracts its neck against its body.The shoebill will also urinate on its own leg, which will then have a cooling effect after evaporating. This is the act of opening its mouth and fluttering its throat muscles to release excess heat.

Like many birds, the shoebill uses a technique called gular fluttering to stay cool.The shoebill is the only living member of its family. Standing tall on its long, stilt-like legs, the shoebill stork cuts an imposing figure as it stalks slowly through the dense wetlands for its prey without making a sound.Īlthough it was once classified as a stork, it’s actually more closely related to the herons, hamerkop, and pelicans within the completely separate order of Pelecaniformes.

Shoebill stork call