The birthplace of the birds, which will be discussed in this article, are the most swampy areas of Africa located south of the Sahara desert.
general information
The Royal Heron (or whale) is an almost unknown and very rare bird of unique appearance. The whale is represented by one single, and unusual species, in connection with which it stands out in a separate family of whale-headed (order of Ciconiiformes) birds. His relatives are herons, storks, marabou and other bony birds. Recent studies have proved his kinship with pelicans.
Most likely, this bird is the surviving link between modern birds and prehistoric ancestors of birds. Its difference from relatives is in a very massive head with a large beak equipped with a characteristic hook. The head in width may even be slightly wider than the body of the bird, and this is not at all characteristic not only of modern, but also of ancient flying animals.
The whale-head is so little studied and unusual that it is one of the most mysterious and unique creatures on Earth. Being a relative of marabou, storks, herons and pelicans in its order, the whale-head (Royal heron) has nothing to do with them even visually.
Description
The English call this bird "shoe-beak". And this is not surprising, since the head of the bird along with its beak actually resembles a trodden shoe.
At the back of the head of the bird there is a remarkable small crest. The whale's neck is so thin, it’s even amazing how it can support the weight of such a massive head. And the legs are very thin, and the tail, like that of a duck, is short. The bird is painted in modest colors: a grayish plumage, a yellow beak. Externally similar males and females do not have any distinguishing features.
The height of the bird reaches one and a half meters, and its weight is 15 kilograms. The wingspan is 2 meters long, so in flight it makes a pretty impressive impression.
Perhaps due to rather unusual external features, this bird is also called the royal heron.
Distribution, habitat
Kitoglav, or king heron, is distributed in a small area of Central Africa from South Sudan to Ethiopia (west): these are Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. A bird was spotted in Botswana. Favorite places - swampy sections of the Nile (tropical areas of Africa).
Individual bird populations are small and scattered. The largest of them live in South Sudan.
Lifestyle, habits and nutrition
Kitoglav perfectly adapted to life in marshy places. Its long paws with large, widely spaced fingers allow you to easily navigate on such soil. In shallow water, a whale can stand motionless for quite some time.
The king heron is most active at dawn, but it happens that it hunts during the day.
With its beak, like a butterfly net, a bird deftly scoops frogs and fish along with substrate and water, which is very similar to the habits of pelicans. In the process of seeking food, she carefully examines floating aquatic plants in the water. It feeds mainly on fish (catfish, tilapia and protopters), as well as snakes, frogs and even young turtles.
In the process of hunting, the whalehead behaves quite patiently. She can stand in one place for a long time with her head lowered into the water in anticipation of the appearance of fish.
Sometimes the king heron carefully and slowly walks in the reeds. When potential prey appears, she immediately spreads her powerful wings and rushes to the victim, trying to catch her with her huge beak. The bird first separates its catch from the plants, after which it swallows the edible part. Often, a whalehead tears its head from the fish, and then eats it.
Breeding, breeding
The breeding season of a whalefisher directly depends on the region of its habitat. For example, in Sudan, it begins immediately after the end of the rainy season. The mating behavior of birds in nature is not well understood. The captive ritual of captivity consists of stretching the neck and nods, from deaf sounds and clicking with a beak.
The king heron builds a nest from reeds and stems of papyrus. It represents in form a huge platform, the diameter of the base of which is 2.5 meters. Dry grass lining the nest tray.
The female usually lays up to three eggs. About a month later, chicks are born, the care of which lies equally with both parents. The chicks are first covered with a soft gray fluff. Although their beaks are not very large, they already have a hooked sharp tip.
Usually, only one chick survives in the nest, which parents feed half-digested food. At 1 month of age, the young whale has already eaten a larger feed. Only after reaching 4 months of age the chick completely becomes independent.
In conclusion: some interesting facts
Royal heron is a rather interesting and unusual bird. Below are some interesting facts about her:
• In the heat during the nesting period, the bird uses its unusual beak as a scoop. To maintain the desired temperature of the eggs, it cools them with water. And she “bathes” already hatched chicks in the same way.
• The ability of birds to stand in one place for a long time without movement allows photographers to take successful shots. In connection with this feature, in one of the bird European parks (Walsrode), there is an inscription on the whalehead information plate that says that it is still moving.