Kochi: Hopes Rise For Shoebill Baby Birth; Pair Seen Enacting Courting Rituals

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:40 JST, December 20, 2025

KONAN, Kochi — Expectations are high for the birth of a baby shoebill at a zoo in Kochi Prefecture.

Shoebills, known as the “motionless bird” and popular among visitors, are large birds inhabiting the wetlands of central and eastern Africa.

Known for their habit of remaining completely still for long periods while waiting to catch fish, their population is said to be declining due to environmental destruction and illegal capture.

Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi Prefecture in Konan houses two birds: a female named Kashishi, borrowed from Nasu Animal Kingdom in Tochigi Prefecture since December 2022 for breeding, and a male named Sasa.

While they are usually kept separately, the park has gradually acclimated them by allowing them to “cohabit” for about one hour daily, observing their interactions.

Shoebills are highly territorial, and initially, the birds would sometimes pounce on each other when approached. Since the beginning of this year, however, the birds have been less aggressive, and in the summer the tips of their beaks came within 50 centimeters of each other.

They have also been engaging in more frequent courtship behaviors, such as “clattering” with their beaks together and bowing.

A total of 15 shoebills are kept at seven facilities nationwide. Four facilities are attempting breeding. However, only two successful breeding cases in artificial environments have been recorded worldwide, leaving many unknowns about their reproduction.