shoebill

The Shoebill is distinctive in many aspects of its biology, and is thus, we feel, most appropriately placed in its own family, the Balaenicipitidae (L. Buxton et al. 1978, Kahl 1979a). The fact that we have included it in this book, while excluding the Hamerkop, indicates that we believe the Shoebill to be closer to the storks (Kahl 1967b, 1979c); however the jury remains out as to how close.