NL·0281Herbarium of the Nature Library
- Name
- Balaeniceps rex
- Family
- Balaenicipitidae
- Native to
- Swamps of East and Central Africa, from South Sudan to Zambia
- Habitat
- Papyrus swamp, Freshwater marsh
On eBird ↗
Shoebill
Live sightings near you, the range map, bar charts of when it is seen, and Macaulay Library photos and recordings.
Shoebill
Balaeniceps rex
Also calledAbu markub (Arabic, 'father of the shoe') · Bec-en-sabot (French) · Whale-headed stork (English)
A tall, grey bird of African swamps with a huge clog-shaped bill. It stands motionless for long periods before lunging to seize lungfish.
The shoebill, also known as the whale-headed stork, whalebill, and shoe-billed stork, is a large long-legged wading bird. It is named for its enormous, shoe-shaped bill. It has a somewhat stork-like overall form and was previously classified as a stork in the order Ciconiiformes, but genetic evidence has now placed it along with pelicans, herons, and its closest relative, the hamerkop, all in the order Pelecaniformes. Adults are mainly grey, while juveniles are browner. It lives in tropical East Africa in large swamps from South Sudan down to Zambia. Wikipedia
What it can do
- iBill up to ~24 cm long and ~10 cm wide, with a sharp hooked tip
- iiStands still for very long periods to ambush prey
- iiiCollapses forward in a lunge to grab lungfish and catfish
- ivBill-clatters loudly as a greeting
- vPours bills of water over eggs to cool them
In the field
Field marks
- aVery tall, grey stork-like bird
- bHuge, shoe-shaped bill with a hooked tip
- cPale yellow eyes
- dStands motionless for long periods
- Voice
- Mostly silent; adults clatter their bills at the nest
- Not to be confused with
- Unmistakable at close range; at a distance Goliath heron is slimmer with a long thin bill and rufous neck.
- Where to see it
- Mabamba Swamp near Entebbe and Murchison Falls Delta (Uganda); Bangweulu Swamps (Zambia)
- When
- Resident
Listen
Looking for field recordings…
Life & habits
- Diet
- Lungfish, catfish, tilapia, frogs, water snakes and young crocodiles
- Habitat
- Extensive papyrus and reed swamps
- Size
- 110–140 cm tall; wingspan ~2.5 m
- Lifespan
- Up to ~35 years
Usually two eggs hatch, but typically only one chick survives, the older outcompeting the younger.
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Native range
Swamps of East and Central Africa, from South Sudan to Zambia
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Balaeniceps rex in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
Marginalia
Ancient Egyptian art may depict shoebill-like birds. It was described scientifically in 1850 by John Gould from specimens from the White Nile.
Curiosity
Despite its stork-like look, its closest relatives are pelicans.
Kinship
Photographs: iNaturalist contributors under the licences shown. Records: GBIF.org. Historical plates: Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0; originals public domain). Summary text: Nature Library editors and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Medicinal and edibility notes are historical and educational, not advice. iNaturalist taxon 4338.