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Shoebill

The Shoebill, the only living species of the Balaenicipitidae family in the Pelecaniformes order, is an intriguing bird with a distinctive sharp hook at the tip of its upper beak, a furrow under the nasal openings, an ossified septum, and a vestigial or entirely absent expansor secundariorum muscle. Despite traditionally being associated with storks (Ciconiiformes), it is now more accurately aligned with pelicans and related species. Its nearest relative is the hamerkop, which is part of a different family. This unique family once included other genera like the possible Balaeniceps member Goliathia and the genus Paludiavis, which are both now extinct.

Regions

Categories

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African & Green Broadbills
African & New World Parrots
African Barbets
Albatrosses
Anhingas, Darters
Austral Storm Petrels
Barn Owls
Bee-eaters
Bulbuls
Buntings
Bushshrikes
Bustards
Buttonquail
Caracaras, Falcons
Cettia Bush Warblers & Allies
Chats, Old World Flycatchers
Cisticolas & Allies
Cormorants, Shags
Coursers, Pratincoles
Crab-plover
Cranes
Crombecs, African Warblers
Crows, Jays
Cuckoos
Cuckooshrikes
Dapple-throat & Allies
Drongos
Ducks, Geese, Swans
Egyptian Plover
Fairy Flycatchers
Figbirds, Orioles, Turnagra
Finches, Euphonias
Finfoots
Flamingos
Flufftails
Frigatebirds
Gannets, Boobies
Grassbirds & Allies
Grebes
Ground Babblers
Ground Hornbills
Guineafowl
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Hamerkop
Herons, Bitterns
Honeyguides
Hoopoes
Hornbills
Hylias
Hyliotas
Ibises, Spoonbills
Indigobirds, Whydahs
Jacanas
Kingfishers
Kites, Hawks, Eagles
Larks
Laughingthrushes & Allies
Leaf Warblers & Allies
Monarchs
Mousebirds
New World Quail
Nicators
Nightjars
Northern Storm Petrels
Old World Parrots
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches
Ospreys
Ostriches
Owls
Oxpeckers
Oystercatchers
Painted-snipes
Pelicans
Penduline Tits
Penguins
Petrels, Shearwaters, Diving Petrels
Pheasants & Allies
Pigeons, Doves
Pittas
Plovers
Rails, Crakes & Coots
Reed Warblers & Allies
Rollers
Sandgrouse
Sandpipers, Snipes
Secretarybird

Shoebill

Shrikes
Skuas
Starlings, Rhabdornis
Stilts, Avocets
Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Storks
Sugarbirds
Sunbirds
Swallows, Martins
Swifts
Sylviid Babblers
Thrushes
Tits, Chickadees
Treecreepers
Trogons
Tropicbirds
Turacos
Typical Broadbills
Vangas & Allies
Wagtails, Pipits
Wattle-eyes, Batises
Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Weavers, Widowbirds
White-eyes
Wood Hoopoes
Woodpeckers
Yellow Flycatchers

Shoebill

Balaeniceps rex
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Species Categories

African & Green BroadbillsAfrican & New World ParrotsAfrican BarbetsAlbatrossesAnhingas, DartersAustral Storm PetrelsBarn OwlsBee-eatersBulbulsBuntingsBushshrikesBustardsButtonquailCaracaras, FalconsCettia Bush Warblers & AlliesChats, Old World FlycatchersCisticolas & AlliesCormorants, ShagsCoursers, PratincolesCrab-ploverCranesCrombecs, African WarblersCrows, JaysCuckoosCuckooshrikesDapple-throat & AlliesDrongosDucks, Geese, SwansEgyptian PloverFairy FlycatchersFigbirds, Orioles, TurnagraFinches, EuphoniasFinfootsFlamingosFlufftailsFrigatebirdsGannets, BoobiesGrassbirds & AlliesGrebesGround BabblersGround HornbillsGuineafowlGulls, Terns, SkimmersHamerkopHerons, BitternsHoneyguidesHoopoesHornbillsHyliasHyliotasIbises, SpoonbillsIndigobirds, WhydahsJacanasKingfishersKites, Hawks, EaglesLarksLaughingthrushes & AlliesLeaf Warblers & AlliesMonarchsMousebirdsNew World QuailNicatorsNightjarsNorthern Storm PetrelsOld World ParrotsOld World Sparrows, SnowfinchesOspreysOstrichesOwlsOxpeckersOystercatchersPainted-snipesPelicansPenduline TitsPenguinsPetrels, Shearwaters, Diving PetrelsPheasants & AlliesPigeons, DovesPittasPloversRails, Crakes & CootsReed Warblers & AlliesRollersSandgrouseSandpipers, SnipesSecretarybirdShoebillShrikesSkuasStarlings, RhabdornisStilts, AvocetsStone-curlews, Thick-kneesStorksSugarbirdsSunbirdsSwallows, MartinsSwiftsSylviid BabblersThrushesTits, ChickadeesTreecreepersTrogonsTropicbirdsTuracosTypical BroadbillsVangas & AlliesWagtails, PipitsWattle-eyes, BatisesWaxbills, Munias & AlliesWeavers, WidowbirdsWhite-eyesWood HoopoesWoodpeckersYellow Flycatchers

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Marlster24
Very Wholesome App
Joined this app with a new interest in watching birds to help me find out what I was spotting. The community is very active in helping identify birds which is great and everyone is very kind so it’s just a nice wholesome community. I would definitely recommend this for any bird spotter 😄
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
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