American shoebill

The **American shoebill** (*Balaeniceps americanus*), also known as the **American whalehead**, is a species of shoebill (*Balaeniceps*) of the family Balaenicipitidae, most closely related to the Asian shoebill (*Balaeniceps indicus*), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the tropical, subtropical, and temperate rainforests, wetlands, riverbanks, and ponds across North America to help boost biodiversity. The American shoebill is a tall bird, with a typical height range of 140 to 170 centimeters (55 to 66 inches). Length from tail to beak can range from 130 to 160 centimeters (51 to 62 inches) and wingspan is 260 to 285 centimeters (8 feet 6 inches to 9 feet 3 inches). Weight usually ranges from 6 to 9 kg (13.2 to 19.8 lb). A male will weigh on average around 7.7 kilograms (16.9 lb) and is larger than a typical female of 6.4 kg (14.1 lb). The signature feature of the species is its huge, bulbous bill, which is straw-coloured, and having orangish-brown feathers. Its wings are held flat while soaring and, as in the pelicans and the storks of the genus *Leptoptilos*, the American shoebill flies with its neck retracted and its flapping rate, at an estimated 150 flaps per minute. American shoebills, despite their fearsome-looking appearance, can be fairly tame towards humans and other sapient species. The American shoebill is normally silent, but they perform bill-clattering displays at the nest. When engaging in these displays, adult birds have also been noted to utter a cow-like moo as well as high-pitched whines. Both nestlings and adults engage in bill-clattering during the nesting season as a means of communication. When young are begging for food, they call out with a sound uncannily like human hiccups. A flying adult bird can be heard uttering hoarse croaks, apparently as a sign of aggression towards similarly-sized or smaller wading birds. The American shoebill is a piscivorous bird and feeds primarily on a wide range of fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and pond turtles, being a more adaptable and generalist feeder than the African shoebill. Other prey eaten by this species has included frogs, water snakes, monitors (*Varanus*) and baby crocodiles. More rarely rodents and small waterfowl have reportedly been eaten. The solitary nature of American shoebills extends to their breeding habits. Nests typically occur at less than three nests per square kilometre, unlike herons, cormorants, pelicans and storks which predominantly nest in colonies. Both parents engage in building the nest on floating platform, after clearing out an area of approximately 3 meters (9.8 ft) across. The large, flattish nesting platform is often partially submerged in water and can be as much as 3 meters (9.8 feet) deep. The nest itself is about 1 to 1.7 meters (3.3 to 5.6 feet) wide. Both the nest and platform are made of grasses and aquatic vegetation. The nests apparently are able to support the weight of an adult man. From three to seven white eggs are laid. These eggs measure 80 to 90 mm (3.1 to 3.5 inches) high by 56 to 61 mm (2.2 to 2.4 inches) and weigh around 164 g (5.8 oz). Incubation lasts for approximately 30 days. Both parents actively brood, shade, guard and feed the nestling, though the females are perhaps slightly more attentive. Food items are regurgitated whole from the gullet straight into the bill of the young. American shoebills rarely raise more than seven chicks, but will hatch more. The younger chicks sometimes die and are intended as "back-ups" in case the eldest chick dies or is weak. Fledging is reached at around 105 days and the young birds can fly well by 112 days. However, they are still fed for possibly a month or more after this. It will take the young American shoebills three years before they become fully sexually mature. The conservation status of the American shoebill is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the American shoebill's wide range and its much greater tolerance to many of the human activities, including habitat disturbance, than the African shoebill.