In most zoos around the world, especially in Sudan, Africa, you will often see the “big blue bird” on display, and often just stands still. Its height is almost as tall as a human. Most visitors (sometimes) assume it is a human wearing a costume standing in the middle of an animal enclosure. The big blue bird is real and one of the fiercest animals in the whole world.
The big blue bird is known to be “one of the most ferocious birds on earth.” Most living creatures, even apex predators are terrified of it. Its mouth, called the bill, is quite hard, it can pierce through crocodile skin. These birds are also believed to eat small crocodiles. When they are hunting, they can stand still for hours, waiting for their prey to swim close or approach them on land. When their prey is close enough, they will instantly attack with their bills and bite them hard. Usually, when a prey is already bitten, it can no longer escape, and it meets its demise.
The big blue bird is called the “Shoebill Stork.” According to Wikipedia, it is also known as whalebill or whale-headed stork. They are large, long-legged wading birds. They have gray-blue feathers and a huge bill as hard as stones. They usually only feed on fish. Although they appear majestic and beautiful, they are considered fierce by other animals. There was once a time when a handler gave weed to the Shoebill Stork, mistaking them for food. Once the bird ate some, it automatically vomited everything. The incident was captured by tourists and was shared on social media.
People who have seen the giant birds up close learn more about them and search for their characteristics online. Some claim the bird looks like a prehistoric giant, while others say they are related to dinosaurs! The sound of a Shoebill Stork is loud and terrifying and can be heard from miles away. Some zoo visitors who filmed the Shoebill while doing its cry took some steps back, fearing it would attack and suddenly fly over to them.
Shoebill Storks usually stand still for several hours. The zoo that has them in an enclosure even wrote “a bird that can’t move” on the display board as a joke. Some tourists were so fascinated by its majestic sight that the big blue bird suddenly spread its wings and flew a few feet up, frightening the zoo visitors. One visitor exclaimed, “Why did you say it was immobile?”
Animal experts said that most Shoebill Storks live in Sudan, Africa. There are currently around 5,000 to 8,000 of these birds living in tropical areas of eastern Africa. Although they have huge wings, they are unable to fly since their head is too big, and they get stuck. They would rather like to stand while hunting. Many people are fascinated by their majestic appearance and beautiful color, claiming these birds seem to have a magical power.
▼ Watch the short video below to hear a Shoebill Stork’s cry that can be heard for miles. Some say they sound like machine guns!
Video source: © Sam/YouTube
FACT: The Shoebill Storks are docile animals. They will never hurt humans. Additionally, there is a Shoebill Stork in one of the zoos in Sudan that bows back to people who show it respect. Who knows, maybe when the time comes that you see a Shoebill up close, they will let you touch them.
Images credits: © My Comic
