"Meet the Human-Sized African Bird That Devours Baby Crocodiles and Slaughters Its Siblings"

1 min read
Source: Livescience.com
"Meet the Human-Sized African Bird That Devours Baby Crocodiles and Slaughters Its Siblings"
Photo: Livescience.com
TL;DR

The shoebill, a human-sized African bird, is a formidable ambush predator with a sharp-edged, 1-foot-long bill and a penchant for feasting on fish, reptiles, and even baby crocodiles. Despite being mostly solitary, breeding pairs are monogamous and lay up to three eggs, although only one usually survives to adulthood due to sibling rivalry, with the first-born often out-competing or killing its siblings. The shoebill, listed as vulnerable, is the only member of the Balaeniceps genus and faces a declining population with just 5,000 to 8,000 birds left.

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