Shoebill

Shoebill is a monotypic species, the only member of the family Balaenicipitidae, endemic to the African continent. Discovered and described by Westerners at the end of the 19th century, the Shoebill can seem, with its aesthetics, to come out of prehistory. Many myths and legends surround this wading bird that presents similarities (physical, anatomical, biological or behavioral) with both pelicans, marabouts, storks, Ospreys and Ardeidae (other than Ciconiiformes). DNA studies, conducted by Sibley and Ahlquist, have allowed it to be classified in the order of Pelicans.
The Shoebill's plumage remains the same all year round, ranging from gray to blue-gray. The upper coverings have an anthracite gray tendency. The ventral parts are gray, slightly lighter. Juveniles are slightly browner than adults.
Sexual dimorphism is very little marked; in fact, only a subtle difference in size and size of the beak can distinguish the two sexes. Determining the sex of an isolated bird is not possible.
The tarsi, strong and long, are finished with 4 large fingers with nails but without interdigital membranes. The whole is brownish-black. See: Video
The imposing and pyriform head presents a small tuft of feathers at the top of the occiput. The eyes, located in front of the head, allow it to have binocular vision, facilitating the detection of prey.
The color of the iris is dark yellow in the chick; this chromatic dominant attenuates to practically disappear at the age of sexual maturity. Reproductive couples have pale eyes.
The singular shape of its beak, yellowish and rosy with dark gray spots, earned it, in Sudan, the name of Abu-marqub, that is: Father of the slipper.This huge bird, with its bulbous and curved beak, is 23 cm long and 10 cm wide and has a very characteristic shape. The upper mandible has a hook, which allows for grooming, rolling eggs or holding slippery prey. Moreover, the morphology of its beak is explained as an impressive adaptation to a highly specialized method of capture. The mandibles have sharp edges to facilitate the capture and ingestion of prey. To feed at the end of the dry season, the Shoebill: exhumes protoptera* from the mud. (* Air-breathing bony fish which bury themselves in the mud when the water is running low.)