Shoebill

Humans have long been fascinated by the shoebill's ancient appearance. In addition to being shown in ancient Egyptian art, the shoebill also serves as a source of inspiration today. Princess Zelda's Loftwing or Guardian Bird in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was modeled after the shoebill.

The shoebill is a strong predator, preying on enormous fish, snakes, young crocodiles, and even Nile monitor lizards. It stands over a meter long and has an eight-foot wingspan. The Arabs dubbed it abu markhub, or "father of the slipper," because of its curved, clog-like beak, which is literally its most prominent characteristic. Even though it appears to be grinning, the bill's sharp teeth can clamp down and decapitate victims. To us, it even has a deadly sound when it greets other shoebills, sounding like a machine gun.

But this bird's sinister side is shown when it returns to the nest as a fledgling, not when it is out hunting. In David Attenborough's Africa, there is some terrible footage showing a shoebill mother leaving her nest to go get water, and the older of her chicks bullying the younger by aggressively plucking and pecking at its down feathers. The younger fledgling, which is already frail, has trouble bearing its own weight. And when the mother comes back and witnesses what has transpired, she pragmatistically sides with the bully while completely ignoring the victim. This could be the cause of the rarity of multiple shoebill chicks surviving.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Balaenicipitidae
Genus: Balaeniceps
Species: B. rex