shoebill

9.9

A large bird with a wide, shoe-shaped bill that lives in central tropical Africa

noun
/ˈʃuːbɪl/

South African

: pájaro zapatero

The shoebill is famous for its massive beak and statuesque posture.

Examples

Have you seen a shoebill before?
The shoebill is a fascinating bird.
A shoebill can stand motionless for hours while waiting to catch fish.
Birdwatchers traveled to Uganda hoping to spot a rare shoebill in the wetlands.
The shoebill is known for its impressive, large, shoe-shaped bill and can often be seen roaming in the swamps of Africa.
Wildlife enthusiasts travel to central Africa to catch a glimpse of the rare shoebill with its unique appearance.
In the wetlands, the shoebill stands still, waiting patiently to catch its next meal.

Synonyms

Balaeniceps rex

vsshoebill

Specialized

9.9

A large swamp bird with a big shoe-shaped bill from central Africa

is the everyday common name used outside scientific texts

shoebird

vsshoebill

South African

9.9

A large bird like a stork with a wide beak shaped like a shoe

is used more widely across central tropical Africa rather than only that valley

Balaeniceps

vsshoebill

Specialized

9.9

A large wading bird from Africa with a shoe-shaped bill

is the single species within that genus rather than the broader group

How Big

Jabiru

Specialized

9.9

shoebill

South African

9.9

stork

27 2.3

heron

11 2.0

wading bird

1 3.6

Surface Forms

shoebill singular

shoebills plural

Morphology

shoebill = shoe + bill (transparent) = shoe + bill

The name is a literal compound describing a bird with a bill shaped like a shoe, so the relation is directly inferable from the parts.

Etymology

Shoebill comes from the English words shoe and bill because its large beak looks like a shoe and 'bill' means 'beak'. That's why a shoebill is the big African bird known for its shoe-shaped bill used to catch fish.