In long with no webbing in between

In the great times of the shoebills once lived thousands of shoebills in Sudan, Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

Some countries in Africa have the conservation law which is making the population of the shoebills greater. The Shoebills are carnivores which mostly eat fish. The shoebill is a broad like bird. Later in the essay you will learn about where the shoebill lives, the physical appearance, and the diet. The shoebill lives in central Africa, southern Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and Rwanda. Lives in swamps or beside a marshy lakes or rivers. Also lives in the wetlands of  Northern Uganda and Western Tanzania and the Bangweulu swamp, also Northeastern Zambia. Smaller populations occupy Eastern Zaire and Rwanda.

Shoebills try to live by freshwater swamps and extensive, dense marshes. They are also found by flood plains and poorly oxygenated water. They live by the poorly oxygenated water is because the fish needs air so it comes to the surface.  Lives in amid swamp grasses or sedges usually found in remote areas.

Shoebills prefer swamps, marshes and vegetation or sudd. In Sudan they are commonly occur in swamps or besides marshy lakes or where floating ferns, cattails and papyrus are.  Did you know the bill is the most prominent feature of the shoebill because it looks like a wooden shoe ? The shoebills toes are 6. 6 in long. The underparts is a lighter shade of grey.

On the back of the head is a small tuft of feathers that turns into a crest. A newly hatched shoebill is covered in a silvery grey silky and a little bit older are slightly darker grey than adults. The shoebills color is a yellowish with blotchy dark spots over them. The eyes are large and yellowish or can be greyish white color. The mandible has sharp edges to tear up prey. The legs are long and greyish. The toes are extremely long with no webbing in between the toes. The Shoebill  lays one to three whitish eggs are laid.

The beak is has up curving  edges and hooked  to grip and pierced in one decisive moment. The shoebill is long in legs and broad in the wings. The shoebill stands up 4. 5ft. Over a meter high. Covered in scaly grey color. The shoebill is dominated by where it hunts.

The shoebill is a powerful appendage ending in a sharp nail like hook. Large grey wading type of specie. Stands at 4. 5ft.

Wingspan is 8. f ft, and bills are 7. 5 in. Males are larger than females and have larger beaks.

The plumage is salty blue-grey with a darker grey on the head. Primarie color is black secondary greenish tint. The shoebill is favorite prey is the lungfish, common prey are variety of larger prey they though smaller animals are caught. Amphibians, water snakes, monitor lizards, turtles, and young crocodiles. They also eat water birds, snails, and rodents. They can eat fish that are 19 in and 48 cm long.

Also it eats mollusks, decaying flesh of dead animals. Overall, the shoebill is a very interesting type of species. Bibiolagy Steffen, Angie. “ Balaeniceps Rex (Shoebill).” Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity. org/accounts/Balaeniceps_rex/. abc_admin. “ The Shoebill.

” African Bird Club, 25 Feb. 2013, www. africanbirdclub. org/bulletins/abc-bulletin-11-march-1994/shoebill. Encyclopedia. com, Encyclopedia. com, www. encyclopedia. com/.