The Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), also known as Whalehead, Whale-headed Stork, or Shoe-billed Stork, is a very large stork-like bird native to the tropics of east Africa. It is often described as a prehistoric-looking bird, and despite its overall stork-like shape and similar morphology, it is actually more related to pelicans and herons than to storks.