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.

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