It wasn’t until over a hundred years later that shoebills were reclassified. They did not receive a classification until the 1800s, however, when they become known to the West and specifically to Europe. Humans have known about shoebills as long ago as ancient Egypt, when they are first referred to in written language. Despite the shoebill descending from both of these relatives, it does not have separate types now, and the shoebill doesn’t even come in more than one color.īy nao-cha from Tokyo, Japan – Shoebill #2, CC BY-SA 2.0, The first is called Goliathia and was found in Egypt, and the second is called Paludavis and was also found in Egpyt, but fossilized at a different time period. There is only one type of shoebill, but there are two known prehistoric relatives of this type of bird. Shoebills do not have different species.The hamerkop is much smaller than a shoebill and doesn’t look very similar to the shoebill, despite being part of the same family. The Balaeniceps genus comes from the family Balaenicipitidae, which includes only the shoebill and the hamerkop. The scientific name of the shoebill is Balaeniceps rex. Shoebill’s scientific name = Balaeniceps Rex.Conservation efforts are in place to prevent the shoebill from reaching endangered classification. This means that, while the shoebill is not endangered yet, it is on its way to that point due to habitat destruction and hunting. Although their body and wings are shaped somewhat like a condor, shoebills are not related to this type of bird.īy su neko – Shoebill　~ハシビロコウ~, CC BY 2.0, They have a large wingspan meant for soaring and short necks, unlike their stork and pelican relatives. All shoebill birds have massive spoon-like bills and feature gray plumage that is brown when they’re younger. Male shoebill birds usually weigh around 12 pounds and are a little bit heavier than female shoebills, but not by much. The shoebill usually comes in between 40 and 50 inches, although it may be slightly larger than this depending on the individual bird. Shoebill birds lay eggs that are similar to that of a pelican and also share some DNA with pelicans. The shoebill was mislabeled as a stork for a long time, but was eventually relocated to the pelican group and is also considered to be somewhat similar to a heron.

Shoebills are ancient birds that have been recognized by humans all the way back to the time of ancient Egypt.

Shoebills have a short neck (unlike their pelican relatives).Shoebills have gray plumage (it starts out brown then turns gray as shoebills age).

Shoebills have massive, powerful spoon-like bills.

Shoebill’s average weight is 12 lbs (male shoebills weigh more than female shoebills).

Shoebill’s average size is 40-50 inches.

Shoebill noise