On his expedition in Africa to find the source of the White Nile in 1840, Werne camped at Lake No, part of a 12,000-square-mile wetland called the Sudd in what is now South Sudan. European naturalists were introduced to shoebills in the 1840s.Ī German diplomat and explorer named Ferdinand Werne was the first European to hear about the shoebill. In fact, this characteristic confused taxonomists: In the past, some felt that the shoebill’s habit placed it within the family of true storks, since all true storks also use their own droppings to cool off. Shoebills practice urohydrosis, the effective-if revolting-habit of defecating on their legs to lower their body temperature. More recent studies on the shoebill's eggshell structure and DNA have supported its place among the Pelecaniformes. “There is, in fact, not the shadow of a doubt that it is either a heron or a stork but the question is, which?” zoologist Frank Evers Beddard wrote in 1905. Others countered that herons have specialized feathers than release a powdery down to help with preening, but shoebills didn’t have these feathers, so they must be storks belonging to the family Ciconiiformes.
Some taxonomists said that the shoebill's syrinx, or vocal organ, resembled those of herons belonging to the family Pelecaniformes, which also includes ibises, pelicans, and boobies. Over the past couple of centuries, naturalists have debated where shoebills should appear on the Tree of Life. Shoebills may be more closely related to pelicans than storks. Complemented by their golden eyes, the posture affects a very convincing death stare. Shoebills can stand virtually motionless for hours with their bills held down against their necks. You really can’t mistake them for any other bird: They grow 4 to 5 feet tall, have bluish-gray plumage and an 8-plus-foot wingspan, and their bill, which takes up a majority of their face, looks like a huge Dutch wooden clog. Shoebills live in the vast wetlands of the Nile watershed in eastern Africa. Shoebill storks could win staring contests.
But there are a lot of misconceptions about shoebill storks-the first being that they're not actually storks. These stately wading birds stalk the marshes of South Sudan, Uganda, and elsewhere in tropical East Africa, snatching up prey with their unique, immediately recognizable bills. They are considered a near threatened species.Shoebill storks have been called the world’s most terrifying bird (though the cassowary might disagree). Always be sure to dispose of your rubbish and old fishing equipment in the correct manner to ensure the survival of these beautiful birds. The don’t actually have a voice box and, as such, communicate through beak clapping and wing flapping!ĭue to habitat destruction the southern populations of black-necked storks are fragmented and it emphasises the importance for us to keep our waterways clean and clear of rubbish. These impressive hunters will form long-term, monogamous relationships and nest in large trees near water. Males have a dark black eye whereas females have a bright, yellow-golden eye.
Males and females are sexually dimorphic, meaning they look different. Using their long, sword-like beak, they spear and consume crustaceans, insects, fish, mammals and even eels. The black-necked stork will use their long legs to wade through the water in search of their prey.
Be sure to keep your camera handy during our Wildlife Warriors Show as Douglas, one of our resident black-necked storks, might just drop by to say g‘day!īlack-necked storks are often referred to as a jabiru! They are the only stork species to be found here in Australia, inhabiting wetlands, shallow swamps and riverbanks of eastern and northern Australia. Take a walk through our Wetlands to see these impressive water birds up close. The spectacular black-necked stork is one of many gorgeous birds that call Australia Zoo home. Check out Australia Zoo’s Black-necked Stork!
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