Rare human-sized prehistoric bird ate baby crocodile

The massive pelican is endangered

The shoebill, an African bird, feeds primarily on fish and reptiles and is referred to by many as “swamp royalty.” Rising temperatures and pollution have led to drought and habitat fragmentation in East Africa. This leads to a decline in the population.

The fearsome and prehistoric-looking bird can grow up to 1.5 meters in height and is equipped with a sharp-edged beak 0.3 meters long – the third largest bird beak in the world.

Although the bird is sometimes incorrectly called a stork, it is in fact the only member of the genus Balaeniceps and the wider family Balaenicipitidae, with its closest living relatives being the pelicans. Its ancestors from the pelican order appeared at the end of the Cretaceous period (from 145 to 66 million years ago).

Its giant beak and long legs make it a formidable ambush predator: the bird can stand perfectly still for hours before snatching up unsuspecting prey and swallowing it whole.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of African Ornithology found that catfish were the shoebill’s most common prey, making up about 71 percent of its diet. However, the bird is also known to feast on eels, snakes and even baby crocodiles.

Swamp Kings are mostly loners, and due to sibling rivalry, usually only one chick survives to adulthood. It is usually the larger first born and either competes with the others for food or kills them. This behavior was captured in David Attenborough’s science series Africa, which showed an older chick biting its younger brother, and it was noted that the mother, returning to the nest, showed no concern for the younger offspring.

The large-billed bird is listed as vulnerable in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is estimated that there are only 3,300 to 5,300 adult individuals left in the world.