Wildlife of the World
Puzzle 11 · African Forests and Highlands · Page 26 in print
Sudd Shoebill
With its broad bill held ready, a shoebill can stand motionless in an African swamp while waiting for prey; lungfish and catfish are among the animals it catches in the shallows.
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A shoebill's enormous bill seen in profile in Uganda.
Species reference for Sudd Shoebill. The photograph does not necessarily show the population or place named in the puzzle.
(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original recordImage changes
Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.
A shoebill stands among wetland grasses.
Species reference for Sudd Shoebill. The photograph does not necessarily show the population or place named in the puzzle.
(c) benjchristensen, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original recordImage changes
Resized and converted to JPEG for display; no subject alteration.
The words
Balaeniceps
The shoebill is Balaeniceps rex.
Bangweulu
A main shoebill population lives in the Bangweulu swamp of north-east Zambia.
Bill Clatter
Shoebills often bill-clatter, especially greeting at the nest.
Catfish
Catfish are in its diet.
Clog Bill
The bill resembles a wooden shoe.
Collapse
On spotting prey the shoebill lunges forward in a 'collapse'.
Crocodile
Shoebills occasionally eat young crocodiles.
Egg-Watering
The adult shoebill pours mouthfuls of water over the nest to keep its eggs cool.
Floating Nest
The nest sits on a small island or a mass of floating vegetation.
Lungfish
Lungfish are the main part of its diet.
Motionless
Shoebills hunt by standing and waiting for prey.
Nile
A main population lives in the White Nile Sudd.
Shoebill
The shoebill's bill resembles a wooden shoe.
Sudd
The great Nile swamp of South Sudan.
The Sudd wetlands of the White Nile support an important shoebill population.
Animal Diversity Web (opens a new tab) · birdlife.org (opens a new tab)
Swamp
Shoebills live in large freshwater swamps.
Animal Diversity Web (opens a new tab) · birdlife.org (opens a new tab)
Sources
- Sudd Shoebill (source capture)Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
- Shoebill habitat threatswww.birdlife.org