Bangweulu's first shoebill chick of 2013

We are pleased to report the hatching of the first shoebill chick at the Bangweulu Wetlands in 2013

On 5 June 2013, Bangweulu Wetlands welcomed its first known shoebill chick of the season. These prehistoric-looking birds lay one to three eggs in large flat nests, and incubate the eggs for approximately 30 days. Young can stand only after two and a half months, and are only able to hunt after three and a half months. It takes three to four years for young to become sexually mature. Siblicide, the phenomenon of offspring killing their siblings, is quite common among larger birds including the shoebill. The second egg hatched a few days after this chick but disappeared before researchers had the opportunity to photograph it.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, shoebills are considered vulnerable due to loss of habitat as well as the removal of chicks from nests to be sold as pets. To reduce the trade in shoebill chicks, a new community Shoebill Guard Programme was implemented at Bangweulu which employs local fishermen to ensure the safety of shoebill nests. In 2012, all human movement around the nests was prevented by these guards, resulting in at least three of the monitored nests producing fledglings, a marked improvement on the 2011 results. This initiative continued in 2013 and has proven to be very successful.

We commend Bangweulu Wetlands' park management, Ralf Mullers (shoebill researcher) and all the shoebill guards for their hard work in protecting this vulnerable species.