In the extreme north and south of the species' range, nesting starts right after the rains end. The breeding pair of Shoebills vigorously defends a territory of 2 to 4 km2 from conspecifics. Nests typically occur at less than 3 nests per square kilometer, unlike herons, cormorants, pelicans and storks which predominantly nest in colonies. The solitary nature of Shoebills extends to their breeding habits. The wing to tail size can't be used for identification it's similar to several other birds. Its legs, roughly the length of storks, extend straight back far past its tail when in flight. Under poor viewing conditions, its size and wingspan compared to other birds in its habitat can identify it. Unusually also, its tail is the same color as its wings. In flight, if its unique bill cannot be seen, the Shoebill's silhouette resembles that of a stork or condor, but its feathers are a distinctive medium blue-gray. At close range, it can be easily identified by its unique features. The wings are broad, with a wing chord length of 58.8 to 78 cm, and well-adapted to soaring. The neck is relatively shorter and thicker than other long-legged wading birds such as herons and cranes. The Shoebill's feet are exceptionally large, with the middle toe reaching 16.8 to 18.5 cm in length, likely assisting the species in its ability to stand on aquatic vegetation while hunting. The dark colored legs are fairly long, with a tarsus length of 21.7 to 25.5 cm. As in the pelicans, the upper mandible is strongly keeled, ending in a sharp nail. The sharp edges in the mandibles help the Shoebill to decapitate their prey and also to discard any vegetation after prey has been caught. The signature feature of the species is its huge, bulbous bill, which is straw-colored with erratic grayish markings. A male will weigh on average around 5.6 kg and is larger than a typical female of 4.9 kg. Weight has reportedly ranged from 4 to 7 kg in the Shoebill. Length from tail to beak can range from 100 to 140 cm and wingspan is 230 to 260 cm. The Shoebill is a tall bird, with a typical height range of 110 to 140 cm and some specimens reaching as much as 152 cm.
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