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Shoebill

Bird · Resident

Shoebill

Balaeniceps rex

How to identify the shoebill

Unmistakable: slate-grey all over, standing as tall as a child, with a broad, clog-shaped bill that ends in a sharp hook and pale, staring eyes. It often stands perfectly still for minutes at a time.

Where to see the shoebill in Murchison Falls National Park

In the delta swamps where the Victoria Nile flows into Lake Albert, reached on a boat cruise downstream. A morning delta cruise with a birding guide gives the best chance.

Habitat

Freshwater swamps with papyrus and reeds, floating vegetation and slow, shallow, poorly oxygenated water where fish come to the surface.

What the shoebill eats

Mostly fish, above all lungfish, with catfish and tilapia; also frogs, water snakes and young monitor lizards.

Behaviour

A solitary, patient hunter. It waits motionless, then lunges forward with its whole body to seize prey. Pairs greet each other at the nest by clattering their bills, a sound like a burst of machine-gun fire.

Best time to see the shoebill

All year; easiest in the drier months, roughly December to March. Resident, here all year.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Further reading: en.wikipedia.org.

Questions about the shoebill

Where can I see a shoebill in Murchison Falls National Park?

In the papyrus swamps of the Nile delta, where the Victoria Nile enters Lake Albert. Shoebills are looked for from a boat on a delta cruise, ideally in the early morning.

What is the best time of year to see a shoebill?

Shoebills live in the delta all year. Many guides find them easier in the drier months, roughly December to March, when water levels are lower and the birds are more in the open.

Is the shoebill a stork?

It is often called the shoebill stork, but it is not a true stork. It is the only member of its own family, Balaenicipitidae, and its closest relatives are pelicans and the hamerkop.

The shoebill in our journal

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