Can we Talk about Shoebills?

[TeekoGreenCheek]

I really wanted to just post this..because these birds are beautiful. They are almost human like..the most Angelic Birds ever..Nature is just amazing. Their like the protector of all birds

 

[LaManuka]

I really wanted to just post this..because these birds are beautiful. They are almost human like..the most Angelic Birds ever..Nature is just amazing. Their like the protector of all birdsView attachment 55325View attachment 55324

We most certainly CAN talk about shoebills!! Amazing and magnificent birds, one of my very favourites!! Have you seen this video from a zoo in Japan? How beautiful is the way this bird, named Futaba, and her keeper bow and shake their heads at each other? She's just so beautiful!!

 

[SailBoat]

It appears that to learn her behaviors will take time as there are just so few clues! Plus her slow and steady movements could quickly allow the prey to become careless. With fish as a diet, it is easy to see their methods.

Cleary a Big' Bird and if one that making a mistake around could be painful!

But truly Beautiful!

 

[chris-md]

I have a slight obsession with them.

 

[LaManuka]

I have a slight obsession with them.

Yeah, me too! Apparently the head-shaking thing is a natural behaviour in the wild, and Futaba's Japanese keeper uses it in his communications with her. And i think that's just wonderful

 

[DonnaBudgie]

We most certainly CAN talk about shoebills!! Amazing and magnificent birds, one of my very favourites!! Have you seen this video from a zoo in Japan? How beautiful is the way this bird, named Futaba, and her keeper bow and shake their heads at each other? She's just so beautiful!!

I had never heard of Shoebills before so I watched the video. They are very strange looking birds! I wouldn't exactly call them "angelic" looking- they look pretty scary so I wouldn't want to run into one in a dark alley! That shoe-shaped bill looks like it could do some serious damage! The captive one in the Japanese video has a nice relationship with his keeper who obviously takes great care of him, weighing him and hand feeding him those yummy looking whole fish. The mutual bowing behavior is very sweet. However, I do wonder what the bird does all day to pass the time. He gets fed fish in the morning but he appeared to live alone in his very limited enclosure. It seems all he has to do is stand around and stare at the tourists gawking at him all day. Not much of a life for such a magnificent, if not angelic, creature.