Wildlife Photography: Shoe Bill (Balaeniceps rex)

Saturday Snapshots: A photo enthusiast' collection of photos worth sharing. 

Photographed at Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

The Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) 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 centimeters (45 to 59 in) tall, 100 to 140 centimeters (39 to 55 in) long, 230 to 260 centimeters (91 to 100 in) across the wingspan and weighs 4 to 7 kilograms (8.8 to 15 lb). Their beaks have an average length of 30 centimeters (12 in). The adult is mainly grey while the juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical east Africa in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia. ~ SOURCE

10 comments:

  1. interesting bird twinzy....makes me wish I had wings :-)

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  2. What a cool looking bird. I love that bill or beak. Thanks for sharing your bird. Have a great day!

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  3. Very interesting bird! Thanks for sharing something I will probably never see except in a zoo!

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  4. Nice capture of an interesting bird!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  5. Wow what a huge bird Cher! I like the tuft of feathers on the head. I wonder if they counterbalance that huge bill? ;-)

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  6. wow ! that's a pretty long beak and a unique kind of bird !!!

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  7. Very interesting bird.

    Regards and best wishes

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  8. It's a lovely, and new for me bird! Thanks for sharing:)

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  9. I first saw this wonderful bird on a documentary about the Congo (I think) I was so amazed seeing it and I would love to see one in the wild one day...many thanks for sharing.

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  10. Thanks for sharing this great bird, it's a new one on me.
    I love the comment in your header about being a "Baffled Writer." I think I know what you mean!

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