Shane Feller, age 7, of Lancaster, Pa., for his question:

WHAT IS A SHOEBILL?

The shoebill, or whale headed stork, is one of the world's most grotesque birds. He lives in the papyrus marshes of the Nile Valley in Egypt  and also (because he is often tame and hardy) in many zoos.

Shoebill stands about 40 inches high on crane like legs and carries on his small head and stubby neck an enormous swollen bill shaped like an inverted wooden shoe. He feeds on fish, baby crocodiles, turtles and frogs. He engages in co operative fishing, with two or three birds side by side driving their prey to shallow water.