| Goliathia | |
|---|---|
| |
| A restored sketch sheet of Goliathia andrewsii preying upon a Vampyravus orientalis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Balaenicipitidae |
| Genus: | †Goliathia Lambrecht, 1930 |
| Species: | †G. andrewsii |
| Binomial name | |
| †Goliathia andrewsii Lambrecht, 1930 | |
Goliathia, full name Goliathia andrewsii, is an extinct genus of shoebill. Its name is usually only brought up when talking about the shoebill stork, and for good reason. The holotype is an ulna recovered from lower beds of the Jebel Qatrani Formation in Faiyum Governorate in Egypt. Initially thought to be a heron, an additional bone, a tarsometatarsus, showed this bird to be closely related to the living shoebill. It was also about the same size as the shoebill. As mentioned, it may be closely related enough to be classed within the same genus as the living species. The ancient habitat was likely a thickly vegetated freshwater swamp, and lungfish and catfish have been recovered from its remains. This is similar to the habitat and diet of the living shoebill.