What is the reality of a wild shoebill tolerating a distant observer?

Answer

It is merely tolerant of a non-immediate threat

Tolerance is distinct from human concepts of friendliness; it reflects the bird assessing the distant observer as a low-level, non-immediate threat that can be ignored until personal space is infringed upon.

What is the reality of a wild shoebill tolerating a distant observer?

#Videos

A humble chat with a Shoebill. (Balaeniceps rex) - YouTube

birdhumanshoebillfriendliness