Shoebill (Wildlife by CollectA)

Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972

After the cassowary, I again want to introduce you to another bird figure, representing a most impressive animal, but nevertheless being mostly ignored by major toy brands. Toy Animal Wiki lists six different figures, five of them are made by Japanese brands and are probably produced from some brittle plastic and not designed to withstand a time as a toy. CollectA remedied this and released a fabulous model in 2016.

The shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) is a large wading bird of Central Africa. It dwells in large swamp areas and feeds mainly on fish, but also other aquatic vertebrates. The impressive beak which gives the animal its name allows it to catch and swallow prey that is much larger than what the sympatric egrets can prey on. In addition, the shoebill is often seen hunting from floating vegetation while egrets and herons wade in shallow waters.

CollectA’s representation is very true to the real animal. Let`s begin at the top. The beak is appropriately broad and high, the back of the beak has the distinctive keel that ends in the strong hook. The head is boxy with strong cheeks and the typical tuft of feathers at the back. It follows the strong neck and the feathery body. The individually sculpted feathers here may seem exaggerated, but I guess this is to enforce the shaggy look this animal often shows. A dark gray hue decks the back of the body, the wing feathers as well as the belly show a white dry brush. The whole bird stands on long thin legs and feet finalizing in long, tenuously toes.

The figure stands 9.0 cm tall, with the animal itself about 8.5 cm tall, making it about 1:13 – 1:16 in scale.

A layer of leaves serves as a base for this finely sculpted bird. Overall this impressive figure is another example for CollectA’s ability to deliver top notch figures that may serve as toys as well as models.