Silver Ounce 2021 Shoebill Stork, Coin from Congo, Democratic Republic of the - detailed information

The Democratic Republic of the Congo normally uses banknotes for circulation, and does not issue coins in the Congolese Franc currency. However, the country has authorised some foreign mints to issue commemorative and bullion coins under its jurisdiction.

Most of them are in standard bullion sizes, including one ounce of silver - such as this coin.

The Mint says about this coin:
If Sesame Street was rebooted as a horror movie, the Shoebill Stork would be cast as Big Bird. The unblinking yellow eyes pierce the soul, the dagger-like beak pierces the body, and the machine gun call it makes is just unsettling. If you think we made this thing up because we were out of ideas, do a quick google search and you’ll see that the Shoebill Stork is not only real, but pretty scary.

The Shoebill’s silly name belies its prowess as a hunter. A full grown adult can grow up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall with a wingspan of 8 feet (2.4 m). They are excellent flyers, but when hunting they prefer an on the ground approach, patiently stalking their prey - which consists of fish, frogs, snakes, and even small crocodiles - and are known to stand motionless for long periods of time. At the opportune moment, they violently attack using their sharp-edged beak. Their methodical approach and physical domination results in a high kill rate.

There are a lot of bird coins out there already, but none quite like this one.

Fun facts about Shoebill Storks:
- Shoebills get their name because their bills look like shoes.
- The tips of their beaks are very sharp and used to cut prey in half and can even decapitate them.
- A fully-grown shoebill is around 4 feet long and 5 feet tall.
- A shoebill’s wingspan can be up to five times larger than its body.
- They are infamous for the machine gun sounds their bills make when they click them together.
- Shoebills can live to be up to 35 years old.
- They can be known to attack each other, especially when they are young.
- They can even eat and attack crocodiles, but prefer monitor lizards, eels, and lungfish.
- They prefer to be alone - the shoebill builds its nest around 3 km away from other nests.
- Shoebills are vulnerable and almost endangered.The shoebill cools down using its own poop.