It breeds in Africa south of the Sahara, occurring in both wet and arid habitats, often near human habitation, especially waste tips. The Marabou Stork, Leptoptilos crumeniferus, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Other prey eaten by this species has included frogs, water snakes, Nile monitors ( Varanus niloticus) and baby crocodiles. Preferred prey species have reportedly included marbled lungfish ( Protopterus aethiopicus) and Senegal bichir ( Polypterus senegalus) and various Tilapia species and catfish, the latter mainly in the genus Clarias. Shoebills are largely piscivorous but are assured predators of a considerable range of wetland vertebrates. A male will weigh on average around 5.6 kg (12 lb) and is larger than a typical female of 4.9 kg (11 lb). Weight has reportedly ranged from 4 to 7 kg (8.8 to 15.4 lb). Length from tail to beak can range from 100 to 140 cm (39 to 55 in) and wingspan is 230 to 260 cm (7 ft 7 in to 8 ft 6 in). The shoebill is a tall bird, with a typical height range of 110 to 140 cm (43 to 55 in) and some specimens reaching as much as 152 cm (60 in). It lives in tropical east Africa in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia.

The adult is mainly grey while the juveniles are browner. However, genetic evidence places it with the Pelecaniformes.

It has a somewhat stork-like overall form and has previously been classified with the storks in the order Ciconiiformes based on this morphology. It derives its name from its enormous shoe-shaped bill. The shoebill ( Balaeniceps rex) also known as whalehead, whale-headed stork, or shoe-billed stork, is a very large stork-like bird.

Shoebill beak noise