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Scientific name: Balaeniceps rex (Gould, 1850).
The Shoebill, called "Whale-headed Stork" in some older literature, is a unique bird of uncertain affinities. As the old name suggests, it was
once thought to be a relative of storks but its habit of flying with neck retracted and powder-down patches suggested an affinity with herons.
But skeletal and biochemical evidence now show it is more closely related to pelicans.
Books: Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World
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Andrew Cornick | 09-Jan-2007 14:09 | |