Shoebill Skull Replica Model

$210.00

The Shoebill is a large African wading bird. The species is named for its clog-shaped bill, used for catching large, slippery lungfish. Turtles, fish, and young crocodiles are also in their diet. Shoebills stand 3.8 feet tall. They are  gray, with broad wings and long legs.

Description

Shoebill Skull Replica Model measures 11 inches. The Shoebill Skull Replica Model is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

The Shoebill or Balaeniceps rex also known as Whalehead, whale-headed stork, or shoe-billed stork, is a very large stork-like bird. The signature feature of the species is its huge, bulbous bill, which is straw-colored with erratic grayish markings.

The Shoebill or Balaeniceps rex is a tall bird, with a typical height range of 43 to 55 in. Length from tail to beak can range from 39 to 55 in. and wingspan is 7 ft 7 in to 8 ft 6 in.

The exposed culmen the third longest bill among extant birds after pelicans and large storks. The sharp edges in the mandibles help the Shoebill or Balaeniceps rex to decapitate their prey and also to discard any vegetation after prey has been caught.

As in the pelicans, the upper mandible is strongly keeled, ending in a sharp nail. The dark colored legs are fairly long.

The Shoebill or Balaeniceps rex feet are exceptionally large, with the middle toe reaching 6.6 to 7.3 in. in length. The neck is relatively shorter and thicker than other long-legged wading birds such as herons and cranes.

The wings are broad, with a wing chord length of 23.1 to 30.7 in., and well-adapted to soaring.

The plumage of an adult Shoebill or Balaeniceps rex birds is blue-grey with darker slaty-grey flight feathers. The breast presents some elongated feathers, which have dark shafts.

The juvenile Shoebill or Balaeniceps rex has a similar plumage color, but is a darker grey with a brown tinge. When they are first born, shoebills have a more modestly-sized bill, which is initially silvery-grey.

The bill becomes more noticeably large when the chicks are 23 days old and becomes well developed by 43 days.

Shoebill storks mostly feed on fish. They like lungfish, catfish, tilapia, and bichirs.
They’ll also supplement their diet with other animals that live in or around the water, including frogs, turtles, lizards, snakes, reptiles, and rodents. They’ve been known to take down smaller waterfowl like ducks and geese.

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Additional information

Weight 5 lbs
Dimensions 11 in
Shoebill Facts

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Balaenicipitidae
Genus: Balaeniceps
Species: B. rex
Binomial name: Balaeniceps rex
Conservation status: Vulnerable