The shoebill may have been known to Ancient Egyptians[3] but was not classified until the 19th century, after skins and eventually live specimens were brought to Europe.

John Gould very briefly described it in 1850 from the skin of a specimen collected on the upper White Nile by the English traveller Mansfield Parkyns.

[14] So far, two fossilized relatives of the shoebill have been described: Goliathia from the Early Oligocene of Egypt and Paludiavis from the Late Miocene of Pakistan and Tunisia.

The shoebill's feet are exceptionally large, with the middle toe reaching 16.8 to 18.5 cm (6.6 to 7.3 in) in length, likely assisting the species in its ability to stand on aquatic vegetation while hunting.

In one case, a flying adult bird was heard uttering hoarse croaks, apparently as a sign of aggression at a nearby marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus).

[19] Its wings are held flat while soaring and, as in the pelicans and the storks of the genus Leptoptilos, the shoebill flies with its neck retracted.

More isolated records have been reported of shoebills in Kenya, the Central African Republic, northern Cameroon, south-western Ethiopia, and Malawi.

This causes the fish living in the water to surface for air more often, increasing the likelihood a shoebill stork will successfully capture it.

[20] The shoebill is non-migratory with limited seasonal movements due to habitat changes, food availability and disturbance by humans.

[19] Petroglyphs from Oued Djerat, eastern Algeria, show that the shoebill occurred during the Early Holocene much more to the north, in the wetlands that covered the present-day Sahara Desert at that time.

[19] The shoebill is noted for its slow movements and tendency to stay still for long periods, resulting in descriptions of the species as "statue-like".

The shoebill is often attracted to poorly oxygenated waters such as swamps, marshes, and bogs where fish frequently surface to breathe.

It is suggested that both adult and immature shoebills prefer nesting sites with similar surface water levels.

The activity of hippopotamus may inadvertently benefit the shoebill, as submerged hippos occasionally force fish to the surface.

Both parents engage in building the nest on a floating platform after clearing out an area of approximately 3 m (9.8 ft) across.

[19] Shoebills are elusive when nesting, so cameras must be placed to observe them from afar to collect behavioral data.

Other prey eaten by this species has included frogs, water snakes, Nile monitors (Varanus niloticus) and baby crocodiles.

Shoebills have bred successfully at Pairi Daiza in Belgium and at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo in Florida.

[32][23] Beginning in 2014 and with various interspersed surges of attention since then, the shoebill has become the subject of internet memes, in part due to its intimidating appearance and its tendency to stand still for long periods of time.

These memes have since also appeared on the social media platform TikTok, bringing a comparatively unknown species of bird into popular culture.

[33] The shoebill also inspired the design of the Loftwing birds in the 2011 game The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

[34][35] The population is estimated at between 5,000 and 8,000 individuals, the majority of which live in swamps in South Sudan, Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.

The bird is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

[38] Habitat destruction and degradation, hunting, disturbance and illegal capture are all contributing factors to the decline of this species.

Indigenous communities that surround Shoebill habitats capture their eggs and chicks for human consumption and for trade.

Some swamps in Sudan are being drained for construction of a canal to control nearby waterways, causing more habitat loss.