Scientific name:
Balaenizeps rex

Natural spread:
Africa

the "father of the shoe", d. h. Abu Markub, as that is named from Arabic-language-y people of its African home (from the South-Sudan as far as to the Schari and Ubangi-Fluß as well as until to North-Zambia) 1-1,2 m long (and also in the stand approximately equally high) shoe-beak, a powerful stork with a 20 cm long and almost just as wide beak is so to speak. This zoologist classifies it into an independent family of the waders because of some anatomical own-characteristics and behaviors.

Characteristics In contrast to little sturgeon, and in agreement with herons, shoe-beaks have 2 big Puderdunenbereiche and a "combed" claw at the middle front-toe; the Bürzeldrüse is only weakly developed. Skulls and neck-musculature - in accordance with the big beak - are very powerfully trained. At the upper top, the greenish-brownish colored beak forms a big, hook-shaped fort-sentence. The iris of the big eyes is yellow. Shoe-beaks, both sexes resemble from, has a blue-gray plumage, with what the big contour-feathers are lined at torso and wings brightly. At the rear-head, a small bonnet stands.

Way of life Shoe-beaks live in the rivers and seas of the tropical Africa along the extended wetlands where they lead a shy and inconspicuous existence individually or in pairs (only rarely in small groups) in the papyrus-thickets. The big birds are predominant twilight - and night-actively and seeks after fishings, amphibians and reptiles. Moderate-sized fish probably amount the main-part of the food, however shoe-beaks pick up occasionally also small-mammals and mollusks. During the day, they last hidden in dense swamp-vegetation mostly; one sees it however there-fly over the moist valleys occasionally. On this occasion Schuhschnäbler sail very skillfully and gladly also in big heights, they resemble the little sturgeon in it, puts back "shaped bent neck the head on that occasion on the "S, however, and between the shoulders and resembles the herons therefore on the other hand. If the birds around-stand recumbent, the big beak lies on front-neck and breast on. At tone-remarks, one hears a fast beak-clatter and only rarely (probably mainly in the flight) high, shrill reputations about shoe-beaks of the öfteren.

Brood Abu Markubs build its nests amid the marshland-ship where the nest is largely protected before predatory mammals. The nest either is one something increased, grass-existed and dry place in the marshy or completely wet surroundings, at which little the brood-partners the vegetation only a low-steps, or it swims as moderate-sized pile out of plant-material on the bog-underground.

According to spread-area, the brood-season is in different seasons. In the Nils' surroundings and in Uganda, brooding shoe-beaks were observed in the months December until June. The nest usually consists of 2 (rarely 3) whitish eggs (9 x 6 cm), that carry a thick, white lime-coating and color itself brown through the Nistmaterial in the course of the time. The boys have a gray Dunenkleid already when slipping and are typical nest-stools. they slip in several days' distance and are 10 cm long at the beginning of approximately; they don't yet look like its parents. Both alto-birds bring fish, of whom they bite off the heads before feeding. Long the brood-partners must feed its offspring and must drench as well as must protect from excessive sun-no-radiation in that they place themselves as a shadow-donor over the nestlings. Still young shoe-beaks are completely helplessly in the age of 2 months, and only after approximately 10 weeks, they are able to stand on its long legs. Now, they already resemble more its parents, but only after 14 weeks, they gained its final size. Abu Markubs become independently after 4 months finally and begin to fly; until then, they constantly must be looked after by the alto-birds.