Fact Files

Also known as the “whalehead” or “shoe-billed stork” because of its similar appearance to the baby bringing bird, the shoebill is a large bird that lives all across tropical Africa. With a distribution that covers Sudan, Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania; and with isolated populations in places like Kenya, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Botswana. It is not very closely related to the stork, but closer to pelicans and herons.

With names that include “Sphinx Moth”, “Hornworm”, and the scientific family name of “Sphingidae”, the over 1,400 species that are considered hawk moths are quite diverse. They exist mostly in the tropics, but can be found all over the world in a variety of climates, and they’re known for their distinct flying ability.

Comprised of three species of birds, the green woodpecker family includes members of the European, Japanese, and Cuban variety (seen above). All of them share the same green wings and underparts that give them their name and they also have the familiar red plumes on their crowns.