![shoebill video shoebill video](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/portrait-of-a-shoebill-adri-vollenhouw.jpg)
Still, even during mating, there are usually no more than two nests per square mile.
![shoebill video shoebill video](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/1-shoebill-stork-anthony-mercieca.jpg)
They don’t like to be bothered and, in general, they’re not close to other birds –not even those of their own species. Shoebills are solitary birds with sedentary tendencies. The behavior of this bird is interesting. On the other hand, the belly and tail feathers are almost white their eyes are yellow, and their legs black. The plumage of a shoebill is bluish gray and ash with a greenish tone on its back. Due to their slow development, these birds only reach sexual maturity after their fourth year of age. Surprisingly, this bird can live up to the age of 50, which makes it one of the longest living wild birds. The females, on the other hand, measure about 7 inches less than the average male. The shoebill male grows up to 5 ft tall, and the span of its wings ranges from 7.5 to 8.5 ft. They’re very large birds –although the females are always smaller than the males. Since its discovery in the 19th century, the shoebill has generated much interest in the scientific community. Unfortunately, there are not many shoebills left, and they continue to decrease at a steady rate. It has a sort of prehistoric aspect and has been classified as vulnerable and placed on the endangered species list. A shoebill looks like one of the fantasy creatures found in the drawings of a child.Ī unique bird, scientists have named it “whalehead,” or Balaeniceps rex. A National Geographic documentary described it as a bird with a stork’s legs, a pelican’s beak, and an eagle’s head. The shoebill is a very curious bird, a native of Africa.