shoe·bill / ˈshoōˌbil/ • n. an African stork (Balaeniceps rex, the only member of the family Balaenicipitidae) with gray plumage and a very large bill shaped like a wooden shoe.

shoebill stork (whale-headed stork) Tall, wading bird found in papyrus marshes of tropical ne Africa. It has a shoe-shaped bill with a sharp hook, a short neck, darkish plumage, and long legs. It feeds at night on small animals, including lungfish, frogs and turtles. Height: to 1.4m (4.6ft). Family Balaenicipitidae; species Balaeniceps rex.