Shoebill: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Weird and Wonderful · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Its giant bill, shaped like a shoe, is what gave the shoebill its name.
2. Shoebills are normally silent, but they put on bill-clattering displays at the nest.
3. Shoebill parents cool the eggs by filling their bills with water and pouring it over the nest.
4. Fish over 60 cm are usually cut into pieces and swallowed bit by bit. Scooping up and swallowing a catch can take up to 30 minutes.
5. A shoebill flaps only about 150 times a minute. Only the largest storks flap slower.

The quiz

1. What shape is the shoebill's bill?

• Hook-shaped
• Shoe-shaped (correct)
• Spoon-shaped
• Needle-shaped

It is named for its shoe-shaped bill.

2. What do shoebills do at the nest?

• Sing duets
• Clatter their bills (correct)
• Dance in circles
• Whistle

They perform bill-clattering displays.

3. How do shoebill parents cool their eggs?

• They fan them with wings
• They pour water from their bills (correct)
• They bury them in mud
• They shade them with leaves

They fill their bills with water and pour it over the nest.

4. Why can a shoebill take a long time to swallow a big fish?

• It cuts it into pieces first (correct)
• It waits for it to stop moving
• It washes it first
• It shares it with chicks

Fish over 60 cm are usually cut into pieces and swallowed bit by bit.

5. About how many times a minute does a shoebill flap?

• 15
• 50
• 150 (correct)
• 500

About 150 flaps per minute.

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