![]() ![]() One look at the red, featherless head and long, curved beak of the northern bald ibis, and the first thing that comes to mind is the bird mask that plague doctors used to wear back in medieval times to ward off the bubonic plague. Diet: Lizards, beetles, small mammals, invertebrates and caterpillars.Size: Length: 28 to 31 inches (70 to 80 cm) Weight: 35 to 46 ounces (1.0 to 1.3 kg) Wingspan: 49 to 53 inches (125 to 135 cm).Where they are found: Morocco and Syria.Unique ugly feature: Long, red and curved beak.Together, they build floating nests of about 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter with grass and other vegetation.īoth male and female share the incubation and rearing of two eggs. When the shoebill does decide to occasionally let loose with a little bill-clattering noise, it sounds like a machine gun.ĭuring the breeding season, shoebills form temporary monogamous pairs and become territorial. The shoebill prefers to stick to himself, standing like a statue in the freshwater swamps and waiting for his dinner to swim near enough for him to snatch up into his huge beak. Taller than most other birds with a wide wingspan and large feet, the shoebill looks like he could be a bully around other wildlife, but he is actually a quiet loner. Measuring about 4 inches wide and nearly 9 inches long, the shoebill’s clodhopper bill is a pale yellow with slashes of gray markings on it.Īt the end of this razor-sharp beak is a hook-shaped nail that allows the shoebill to decapitate its prey, which is usually lungfish but also includes water snakes, baby crocodiles, small waterfowl, lizards and rodents. Standing tall (nearly 5 feet) on long, spindly legs, this prehistoric-looking stork is mostly slate-gray with big, round yellow eyes and a tuft of feathers on the back of its head.īut, the most striking feature is the massive bill that resembles a wooden clog shoe. They may be ugly… but they are also kind of adorable. However, that doesn’t stop the shoebill from being one of the most popular birds on the must-see list for birdwatchers in Central-Eastern Africa. You can’t expect a bird to win a beauty pageant when its face is attached to a giant bill resembling a clog shoe. Diet: Lungfish, water snakes, baby crocodiles, lizards, rodents and waterfowl.Where they are found: Central-Eastern Africa.Unique ugly feature: Large, shoe-shaped beak.This may seem like a strange habit, but it protects the chicks from predators. Once the chicks are ready to fledge, the adults break open the seal. Pairs work together to seal the female up inside a tree cavity with mud, fruit pulp, and feces, leaving a hole only large enough for the male to transfer regurgitated food to her as she incubates up to six eggs. Helmeted hornbills are monogamous birds which have a peculiar breeding habit. This is largely due to the many hunters out trying to kill the birds for their casques (made of solid keratin) that are sold for big bucks to carvers and handicraft makers. The first is the most notable feature, the “casque,” which is the helmet-shaped structure above the bill. Two characteristics give the helmeted hornbill its intimidating appearance. Should this hornbill’s appearance not startle you at first, its maniacal cackle will most certainly stop you in your tracks. One look at the helmeted hornbill and you may readily accept the Punan myth that this bird guards the river that flows between life and death. Diet: Fruits (especially figs) and insects.Where they are found: Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.Unique ugly feature: Helmet-like casque on the bill.Want to know about some of the ugliest birds in the world? Check out the following top picks: 1. This post is meant solely for entertainment and to introduce you to some amazing creatures… so please don’t roast me :). I have trouble identifying any creature as truly “ugly,” they all have a beauty that is unique. They are still beautiful creatures that need to be protected. Before we get into it, I just want to say that even though these birds are “scary” and “ugly,” they all have a charm to them. ![]()
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