Deep dive 2 min read
What Does a Shoebill Stork Sound Like? (Machine Gun Included)
It looks like a dinosaur and sounds like a machine gun. Here's what a shoebill stork really sounds like – the clattering, the mooing and the chicks that hiccup.
Most of the time, the shoebill is silent. It stands motionless in the swamp, staring at the water like a statue. But when it does make a noise, it’s one of the strangest sounds in the bird world – and it doesn’t come from its throat.
What does a shoebill sound like?
The famous shoebill sound is bill-clattering. The bird rapidly snaps the two halves of its huge, clog-shaped bill together, producing a loud, hollow rattle. People often compare it to a machine gun firing or a motorboat engine revving. It’s a mechanical, wooden sound – nothing like a song.
Why do shoebills clatter their bills?
- To talk to their family. Both adults and chicks clatter during the nesting season – it’s a big part of how parents and young communicate.
- To greet a partner. Pairs clatter at each other at the nest, often with bowing and head-nodding.
- To show who’s boss. Clattering is also part of displays used to defend territory.
A bird the size of a child, a beak like a wooden shoe and a voice like a machine gun. Of course it went viral.
Do shoebills moo?
Sort of. During displays, adult shoebills have been heard making a low, cow-like moo and high-pitched whining sounds. They can also hiss when they feel threatened. But these calls are rare – clattering is by far their most common “voice”.
What do baby shoebills sound like?
Shoebill chicks have their own funny noise: when they beg their parents for food, they make a call that sounds uncannily like human hiccups. Not the scary dinosaur sound you might expect from the bird that looks like one. Read more in Why Does the Shoebill Look Like a Dinosaur?
Why is the shoebill usually so quiet?
Because it’s a hunter that relies on patience. A shoebill can stand frozen for hours, waiting for a lungfish or catfish to surface – then it lunges forward in one explosive strike. Making noise would only scare dinner away. That’s also where its famous stare comes from: it isn’t judging you, it’s just waiting.
Strange but trueDespite its name, the shoebill isn’t really a stork – its closest relatives are pelicans.
Want to hear it yourself? Check the videos in the shoebill profile.
Sources
- Shoebill – Wikipedia (vocalisations, behaviour)
- Audubon – The Shoebill
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