The shoebill is unique because taxonomists find it hard to classify it into any of the existing groups.
The bird does not have any obvious connections to any other bird species, living or extinct. The giant of a bird is endemic to Africa and is mostly found in the northeastern swamps. A full grown shoebill is usually 1-1.4 m tall with a wingspan of 2.3-2.6 m. they are named after their beaks which look like a shoe.
They are skilled hunters and lungfish is their preferred prey. Young shoebills are often eaten up by crocodiles. Ironically, young crocodiles are sometimes eaten up by shoebills though they prefer fish. Because of its huge size and colour, shoebills are sometimes compared to Hippogriff, a mythical creature that appears in J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It doesn’t have four legs, though!
Picture Credit : Google