The younger chick was forced out into the heat, and died slowly.”įor this reason, the mothers often end up raising only one chick. When the parent arrived it favoured the larger chick, shading it from the sun with its wings and giving it water from its bill. “It would drive its sibling over to the side of the nest. They are regarded as ferocious predators and can prey on small crocodiles, lungfish, and monitor. Instead of welcoming the second chick, it's common for the first-born to start a violent rivalry. “On several occasions the older chick attacked its younger sibling, drawing blood,” said BBC producer Alex Lanchester. The weight of the shoebill stork ranges between 9-16 lb. So, the first-born chicks are much bigger than the younger siblings. A male will weigh on average around 5.6kg and is larger than a typical female of 4.9kg.
They found that many of the nests had two chicks, which were often born about five days apart from each other. The weight has reportedly ranged from 4kg to 7kg. They are also monogamous birds, mating with only one bird during their lifetime. Yet, one group of scientists were lucky enough to observe these young birds, and it wasn't as heartwarming as they imagined. The overall weight range for shoebill storks is 8. Shoebill birds are shy creatures, so it's rare to see the behaviors of chicks in the nest.
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