The nature of the globe is abundant and diverse, every now and then, you can meet a representative of the flora or fauna that I had never heard of before. Sometimes one wonders how multifaceted and diverse everything that surrounds us, how the planet is populated by a lot of creatures similar in their attributes, but at the same time so different and unique, having their own life activity, different from others. And there are even those who have preserved the appearance and signs of one of the most ancient animals of the planet - dinosaurs.

Such, the most unusual bird in the whole world, which can rightfully be considered as an intermediate link between evolution between the ancestors of birds in the era of dinosaurs and modern birds, is the whale. This bird is considered one of the most mysterious creatures on the planet, as it is still not studied in detail and a very rare species.

According to the order, storks, pelicans and herons are considered to be relatives of the bird, but apparently they have no signs with it. In the sources you can find another name for the whale-hunter - “royal heron”. It is also important that he is the only representative of the family of cetaceans in the world.

Interesting fact: although the bird’s view is frightening, the whale is very friendly and quickly gets used to people. At the same time, they understand a person well and are smart enough.

The appearance of the whale

A whalebird is a huge bird, whose body height is 1-1.2 meters, body weight is 7-15 kilograms, wingspan is 2-3 meters. The main difference from the family of Ciconiiformes is the presence of a heavy head and a large beak with a hook. Sometimes the head is wider than the body of the bird, which is also very surprising and has no analogue among the birds that inhabit the planet today. Despite such a large size, the whale has a very thin neck and legs, and the tail is short, resembling a duck. The color is unremarkable and has no distinguishing features between males and females. The eyes are located in front of the head, which allows you to see objects voluminous.

Range - where the whale lives

Marshy places, as well as territories near water bodies of East Africa, namely in South Sudan, Zaire, Tanzania, are considered a habitual habitat for whales. The marshy shores of the Nile are considered a favorite place. The bird is adapted to these territories thanks to thin legs and extended claws, which allows it not to fall through in marshy soils. Birds spend their whole lives in one place, settled down, prefer to live alone, in pairs only occur during mating.

Nutrition and Hunting

Whales feed on aquatic and near-water food, as well as small amphibians (catfish, snakes, frogs) or cubs of turtles and crocodiles. The favorite delicacy of this bird is the protopters (double-breathing fish). According to the method of obtaining food, whales have similar habits with herons: they freeze in anticipation of food for a long time, waiting for the victim.Also, a huge beak is used by birds as a landing net, with the help of which it scoops animals together with water. This bird can be called clean, because the whale caught in prey will first clear the vegetation, and only then eat it. Birds communicate using their beak, which they crack or through cries.

Breeding

The process of pairing birds is similar to swans, which create one pair for the entire period of their life. Whaleheads usually arrange mating games in the March-June month, which are accompanied by dances with nods and neck stretching, as well as sounds.

Bird nests are built from various branches, usually in the swamp, so that predators can not reach the offspring. Then the female lays eggs, and both the male and the female themselves hatch them in turn. Kitoglava considered caring parentsthat even maintain the temperature of the egg depending on the climate. In unnatural conditions, birds are not adapted for breeding.

Population and species status

The heron is considered a very rare bird species and the reason for this is the limited habitat, which is declining every day more and more, mainly due to human influence (drainage of swamps). Now there are only about 15 thousand individuals worldwide.

Interesting fact: it is believed that the beak and head of a bird are similar to a trampled shoe, so the British call it “shoe beak”, and the locals nicknamed it “father’s shoe”.