Shoebill is a large bird that resembles the stork. It is sometimes called whale-headed stork. Shoebills live in Africa on marshes from the Upper Nile to Uganda and the Republic of the Congo. The bird stands up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. It is ashy-gray and is named for its enormous bill. When disturbed, it snaps its bill open and shut rapidly, making a loud rattling sound.
The shoebill has long legs. It wades in shallow water, where it feeds on fish. It uses its huge bill to dig African lungfish out of the mud in the dry season. The shoebill flies with its neck in the shape of an S, its long legs trailing behind. Shoebills live in pairs. They nest on the ground where they build a large platform of reeds lined with grass. The female bird lays one or two rough-shelled white eggs.
