Shoebill: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	whale-headed stork • shoebill stork • Balaeniceps rex • shoe-billed stork

Photos

Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)

A Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex) with a large, shoe-shaped bill stands in a green marsh surrounded by dense vegetation.

A Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex) with a large, shoe-shaped bill stands in tall green grass, facing the camera.

Variations in beak structure among ciconiiform birds.

See All Images →

Topics

Funky Feathers: 10 Bizarre Birds Balaeniceps

Lion (panthera leo)

Deadliest Animals Quiz

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

turkey vulture. vulture. Close-up of a head and beak of a Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura).

A Little Bird Told Me

Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz