THIS PREHISTORIC-LOOKING BIRD IS affectionately known by some as ‘king of the marshes’ as it is huge (up to 1.5m tall with a 2.4m wingspan) and resides in the freshwater marshes and swamps of East Africa. Of several common names, the most frequently used is shoebill, a reference to its unmistakable long bill, which resembles a clog.
What other names does it go by?
The shape of the shoebill’s bill has also been described as similar in appearance to the head of a baleen whale, hence its Latin name, , meaning ‘whale-head king’. This explains why the species is also known as the whale-headed stork and the whalebill. Other common names for this grey giant include shoe-billed stork, boat bill, bog bird and swamp king. There is only one species of shoebill, and though these birds are sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as storks, they are more closely related to pelicans.
