Nonetheless, the bird has since been classified into a league of its own, called Balaenicipitidae. That monicker was abandoned once experts realized it resembled pelicans more closely, particularly in their ruthless hunting habits. In the past, this avian terror was referred to as the shoebill stork. While not as enormous as that, the shoebill commands a ton of fear in the animal kingdom. The shoebill bird is native to the marshes of East Africa. It shares some behavioral and anatomical characteristics with storks, but it is more like herons (Ardeidae), with its powder-downs (a special type of down feathers located on the breast and belly) and its habit of flying with. If you’re looking for a modern-day dinosaur, then the elusive shoebill stork might be the closest you'll get. Once classified as a storkshoebill stork or whale-headed storkit is now in a Family of its own: Balaenicipitidae. One example is the shoebill stork, a species that many consider the scariest bird to walk the planet. These birds evolved from a class of dinosaurs known as theropods - an umbrella group that included the Tyrannosaurus rex. But in some cases, it makes birds seem a little scarier. Native to the swamps of Africa, the scary shoebill bird’s prehistoric features are no coincidence. If you look directly into the eyes of a shoebill stork, you might feel a chill run down your spine. One could argue that the animal’s strange muppet-like appearance is endearing - if it weren’t for the shoebill’s ferocious appetite. Meet the Shoebill Stork - the World’s Most Terrifying Bird. Its beak resembles a Dutch clog sitting beneath a pair of enormous eyes that stare with prehistoric indifference. It stands at the unnerving average height of four and a half feet with an eight-foot wingspan, and its seven-inch beak can tear through a six-foot lungfish with ease. These stately wading birds stalk the marshes of South Sudan, Uganda, and elsewhere in. The shoebill, or Balaeniceps rex, is undoubtedly one of the scariest-looking birds on the planet. Shoebill storks have been called the world’s most terrifying bird (though the cassowary might disagree). Nik Borrow/Flickr The shoebill is aptly named, as its beak resembles a Dutch clog.
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