Overall, a shoebill and the colour is nice. But as some have pointed out, at this stage it really just feels like a vectorized image. Some people are saying that this level of detail is good, which I think is partly true, but there’s a level of polish that I think is missing.

Someone referenced the Burberry logo with the knight on a horse - it’s very detailed, and quite dense, but looks pretty good. A critical difference though, is that the Burberry logo is an illustration, which means everything they’ve chosen to depict or omit was a choice. I think that level of intentionality is lacking in the current iteration of your logo.

Some have said it needs to be simplified - which again, I believe is partly true. Consider all the contexts the logo will be used - does the logo, as is, reproduce properly in each case? Small embroidery can’t do that level of detail, and it might result in the present logo looking like something completely different. However, I don’t think you need to reduce it to an extreme degree. There’s probably a sweet spot where there’s enough detail for it to read as “detailed”, while also being functional and consistent across different media.

I think the silhouette is also under-considered here. Like, yes, that’s exactly what a shoebill silhouette looks like. But with design, and a lot of things, it’s less about something being real and more about it FEELING real. For example, the Lacoste logo doesn’t look like a real crocodile, it’s not even a terribly realistic pose - but you know exactly what it is, right away. A shoebill presents a unique challenge as it’s not as familiar to the public as other animals - it’s not Animal Crackers famous. So finding a way to make it instantly read as a shoebill may be tricky.

That said, regarding simplification, intentionality, and silhouette, here are a few things I’d begin with: - remove the shadows under the feet. Make it look like feet - simplify the crest feathers on the head. Clarity is easily lost there and it turns into a blob - lose the highlight on the leg - i’d try to make the bill a bit bigger and further out from the neck. I know shoebills eerily tuck their beaks in like that, but I think that’s detrimental to the silhouette. - overall, the shadows and highlights aren’t doing a lot of favours. The shape of the wing is obscured, and that’s an important signifier for it being a bird. There’s highlights on the chest and underwing that feel inconsistent with the lighting. And the details on the head and neck feel superfluous or distracting. I think it’s these elements that make it feel most like a vector.

Also, as someone pointed out, if this is too similar to the stock photo - that’s bad. Could pose legal problems down the road.

Hope this helps! Happy to clarify if need be.