Balaenicipitidae is a family of birds in the order Pelecaniformes, although it was traditionally placed in Ciconiiformes. The shoebill is the sole extant species and its closest relative is the hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), which belongs to another family. Species from the Ciconiiformes and Balaenicipitidae family have been found in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and parts of East Africa.
It has the following genera:
Balaeniceps †Goliathia (might belong in Balaeniceps) †Paludiavis
Common characteristics
A sharp hooked tip to the upper beak A furrow in the upper beak below the nasal openings An ossified septum Vestigial or absent expansor secundariorum muscle
References Kasoma, P. M. B., & Pomeroy, D. E. (1987). The Status and Ecology of Storks and the Shoebill in East Africa. Colonial Waterbirds, 10(2), 221–228. https://doi.org/10.2307/1521261