There are over 10,000 different birds in the world, most of which fit into people’s traditional ideas about what a bird should look like. However, there are some real original birds that don’t follow these traditional norms; for instance their appearance could be more reminiscent of a fairy tale character or even an animal from a fantasy book.

The Shoebill is a waterbird that is unmistakable due to its unique “shoe-shaped” bill. This appearance may recall the origin of birds from dinosaurs. The species is found in nine African countries and has a large range, but is confined to small populations in a few wetland locations.

The Kitoglav was known to the ancient Egyptians and Arabs. But it wasn’t classified until the 19th century, when living specimens were brought to Europe. John Gould described the species in 1850, calling it Balaeniceps rex. The name ‘Balaenoptera’ comes from Latin words for “whale” and “head”, which are abbreviated to -ceps in compound words. The Arabs call this bird abu markub, meaning “shoe”.

The bird’s notable feature is its beak- which resembles a boot in color and markings. It’s huge, ending with a sharp curved hook that helps it eat. The mandibles have sharp edges that help them grasp prey. Their neck is shorter and thicker than other tall-legged water fowl such as cranes, herons, and spoonbills. They have big eyes that are either yellowish or greyish white in color. Their legs are long and black. They also have very long fingers that are completely separated without webbing

This species is limited to Africa and lives in the east-central side of the continent.

This species is most abundant in the Western Nile subregion and nearby parts of southern Sudan. Isolated cases of shoebill settlement have been reported in Kenya, northern Cameroon, southwestern Ethiopia and Malawi. Reports of strays have surfaced in the Okavango and upper Congo basins. This means that Shoebill is a bird that does not migrate often. It moves based on changes in its habitat, food availability, and human disturbance.

Kitoglavs generally prefers freshwater swamps, or vast, dense swamps with many wetlands. The shoebill stork needs a lot of floating plants in order to thrive in deep water areas. Besides an altered water chemistry, these fish are most often found near the surface of poorly oxygenated waters.

The bulk of carnivorous fish diet comes from wetland vertebrates. It is not known how they feed on invertebrates.

The shoebill’s huge beak and wide mouth means it can catch larger prey than other wading birds. In Bangweulu, its main food is African catfish and water snakes, which the parents feed to their chicks.

The main tactics used by shoebills are to stand and wait and wander slowly. When a prey item has been located, the bird’s head and neck quickly sway when inflating their pouch, sending the bird askew. Afterwards, the shoebill should regain balance by opening their wings.

Particles of vegetation fall into the beak, as well as some prey. Shoebills shake their heads from side to side in order to get rid of any green matter. The prey is usually decapitated before swallowing. A large beak can also be used to grab mud at the bottom of a pond to extract fish hiding in holes.

No matter how many times you see shoe heads in a group, this is not a sign of them being sociable. It’s only when food starts to run low that they will feed next to each other. Male and female of the same species usually forage on opposite sides of their territory. Contrary to popular belief, some birds have the ability to fly wherever they want and don’t just fly back and forth across one place.

Kitoglavs do not appear to be scared or threatened by people. Researchers have been able to get much closer than 2m from their nesting area and the birds did not seem hostile towards them, simply staring at them.

When shoeheads soar, they take advantage of thermals (a mass of rising air), and are also seen hovering over their territory during the day. In flight, the birds’s neck retracts with a cawing sound. They are usually silent while on the ground, but they often make noise with their beaks when at full length. Adults will welcome each other into their nests and chicks make sounds while they play with their beaks. Adults also make noises like a “moo”. Chicks will even make hiccup-like noises when they are hungry.

Shoebills rely on sight and hearing to hunt. In order to have a good view of the surroundings, shoebills hold their heads and beaks vertically downwards towards their chest. Kitoglav’s wings are held evenly to the ground while taking off and sometimes hinders takeoff. This is because it flies with its neck withdrawn in a penguin like form and its frequency is around 150 kicks per minute. These make it one of the slowest flying birds out of all, with exception of larger storks that have a slower flapping speed so they don. Bird’s flight consists of alternating cycles of flapping and sliding. They live nearly 36 years in the wild.

Kitoglavy birds have an average territory size of about 1km², and are very territorial during the breeding season. They’ll defend their nest from predators, competitors, or anyone else who may disrupt them.

The next seems to be located on a small island or on a mass of floating algae. The same type of material such as grass is woven onto the ground to form a building about 1 meter in diameter. One to three eggs are typically laid. However, only one chick lives to fly the coop by the end of their time in their egg. The incubation period is about 30 days.

Kitoglavs are monogamous birds and the pair of parents share all aspects of family life. They build a nest, incubate the eggs and raise their chicks cooperatively. One way they keep cool is to let a beak full of water run over their clutch. Additionally, they lay patches of blades of grass around the eggs and turn them over with their paws or beak.

Several predators prey on adult shoebills. These include large birds of prey like hawks, falcons, and kites. However, the most dangerous enemies are crocodiles which inhabit African swamps in large numbers. Chicks and eggs are vulnerable to predators, but this is rare because the chicks and their mothers protect each other fiercely, building nests in places where these predators have none of the easy access they need.

The most threatening enemies of the shoebill are people who catch and eat them. In addition, indigenous people can earn large sums of money by selling these birds to zoos. Threats to the survival of Kitoglav include: changes in the environment brought about by human hunters, local tribesmen hunting them for capture, and cultural taboos preventing their natural reproduction.