Shoe bill Stork

How has the Shoebill Stork adapted to survive in it's Environment?

The Shoe bill stork has large webbed feet for standing in the mud and water without sinking deep into the ground. the webs also help with swimming if it has to. its long skinny legs allow it to wade into deeper waters with stealth so that it can sneak up on its pray(fish). the stork has a large head that allows for it to have strong jaw muscles to crush prey with its powerful shoe-shaped beak. it's large eyes let him detect prey better. its 7 foot fly average that makes flight possible when needed (mostly stay on ground)

The abundance of the Shoe bill Stork

The population is estimated at between 5,000 and 8,000 individuals.The Shoe bill stork is a rare and critically endangered bird

Niche of the Shoe bill Stork

Predatory bird that feeds primarily on fish such as catfish, lung fish and water snakes and lives in wetlands but soars on thermals (upward current that birds can glide on) It lives in freshwater swamps in central tropical Africa from South Sudan to the eastern Congo to western Tanzania to northern Zambia

Generalist Bird

Shoe bill storks are non-migratory as long as good foraging conditions exist. However, in some areas of their range, they will make seasonal movements between nesting and feeding zones.When Shoe bill storks are in an area with deep water, a bed of floating vegetation is a requirement. They are also found where there is poorly oxygenated water. This causes the fish living in the water to surface for air more often, increasing the likelihood a Shoe bill stork will successfully capture it

Genetic Variation

The Shoe bill Stork has long legs that help it walk in shallow water as it hunts for fish. The large head, eyes and bill helps find food in muddy swamps. They have lots of patience and stand still for hours for prey to come by. It lives alone and has adapted to rarely even making a sound at all.

Shoebill Stork in it's Environment

The Shoe bill Stork is very adequately designed for the specific habitat it lives in.It has large webbed feet suited for the swampy marshes that it lives near.It uses the feet to stand in mud and water without deeply sinking.The webbed feet also helps it swim if it is in trouble or if it has to.The long legs it has helps it wade into deeper water with stealth so that it can sneak up onto it's prey,which is mainly fish

Prey

It stands very still. Possibly for hours on end, waiting for fish or other creatures in shallow waters to come by. It stands on its long legs that stick out high above the water then it quickly "collapses" onto it's prey and puts it in it's mouth. Sometimes it lets the fish stick its head out of the stork's bill and precedes to chomp down and behead the animal before feasting.

Predation

Global Strategies

The International Single Species Action Plan(ISSAP) released an action plan for the Shoe bill Stork 

Symbiosis

The Shoe bill stork has a commensalism relationship with vegetation on the water. It stands on top of the vegetation as it hunts for the animals swimming below. It uses the plantae to prey on fish without disrupting the water and alerting the fish.