Bowbilled Crest

These birds are very large, roughly 1 and a half metres tall at the head. Their bodies are round, their feathers bright white with a bluish belly. Their feathers mask their buff physique, making them look deceptively fluffy and cute, a risk when someone tries to hug them. Their necks look short, but in fact they are quite long, basically the same size as their body. Their heads are large too, with a massive, round beak that is used like a net to scoop up fish from the waters. The beaks are strong, to resist being snapped in half from the water.  

Sexual Dimorphism

Female bowbilled crests have an incredibly drab colouration, lacking the blue bellies that males have and instead just a slightly more greyish colour on their bellies. Females beaks are instead a yellow while males have orange, and they are a little smaller than the males.

During nesting season, bowbilled crests will flock towards the largest tree they can find, which will soon be completely infested with these birds all roosting on their branches. The birds construct massive nests, by throwing together branches, vines, leaves, and anything else they can find, and females lay 5-12 eggs per breeding season. These eggs are small, and a bright blue colour. Eggs take up to 4 weeks to hatch.

These birds live in swampy environments, most commonly found in the Botanic Bogs. They live in large flocks, that completely cover entire areas with these birds. Their nesting trees are easy to find too; just look for a branch covered, bird pooped, tree, and it's almost guaranteed that it is a bowbilled crest nest.

Bowbilled crests have a fascinating way of feeding. Using their beaks, they will trap small shoals of fish that swim their way inland down river systems, herding them into their giant, net like mouths. The water will filter out through some holes that open and close at the bottom of the pouch, leaving the fish to be swallowed and digested.