It’s been called the most frightening bird on Earth! Also, Monsterface and Death Pelican. So who is this giant bird of prey who actually eats crocodiles?
It’s called the Shoebill Stork, whose name derives from its massive shoe-shaped bill, and it lives in the swamps of eastern tropical Africa. They eat big fish, eels and catfish, as well as monitor lizards, snakes and, yes, baby crocodiles. The Shoebill is a tall bird, with a typical height range of 43 to 55 inches, with some specimens reaching as much as 60 inches. The length from tail to beak can range from 39 to 55 inches and wingspan is 7 feet 7 inches to 8 feet 6 inches! The shoebill's silhouette resembles that of a stork or condor, but its feathers are a distinctive medium blue-gray.
Despite such a ferocious stance, there’s one thing they do that’s not so frightening: They crap on their legs. Because it keeps them cool. As with other birds, the poop is mostly liquid, and heat from warm blood passing through the legs is used to evaporate the liquid waste, resulting in cooler blood circulating through the stork. The Death Bird has poopy legs. Isn’t science fascinating?
Want to see this bird in action? Click here: