This bird is known for its slow movements and tendency to stay still for long periods of time, thus the description of the species as ‘’statue-like.’’ However in some cases, shoe bills have been heard making some sounds and gestures such as moo, head bobbing, bill-clapping and high-pitched whining for communication. Shoebill storks are known to be silent birds and this helps them in capturing their prey as they hide silently and once a prey is seen, they jump once and grab it with their big shoe like beak. Behavior/Mannerisms of the Shoebill Stork.The shoebill stork uses a unique hunting technique called ‘freeze and seize’ to catch their prey. The diet of a Shoebill Stork is mainly comprised of water mammals such as lung fish, mad fish, cat fish, eels, baby crocodiles, water snakes, tilapia, snails, Nile monitors, turtles, small waterfowl and even frogs. In fact Uganda is a birders paradise with very many unique and rare bird species in the world. The Shoebill stork is best sighted in Uganda which has a set record of about 1000 shoebills, and birders can best sight the bird in areas such as Mabamba Swamp close to Lake Victoria, Lake Mburo national park, Queen Elizabeth national park with in the swamp in Ishasha sector, Semliki wildlife reserve, and Ziwa rhino sanctuary without forgetting Nabajuzi swamp in Masaka region and Bigodi Swamp near Kibale National Park. The shoebill stork is a non-migratory bird with very limited seasonal movements due to habitat changes, food availability and disturbance by humans. However, few sights of the bird have been reported in Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, the Central African Republic, northern Cameroon, and Botswana. Shoebills are aquatic birds that predominantly inhabit freshwater swamps in central and eastern African countries mainly southern Sudan, South Sudan, eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, western Tanzania, and northern parts of Zambia. The Shoebill stork is endemic to the African Continent. The life span of a shoebill stork can go between 35 to 50 years. Shoebill storks have a longer life span as compared to other birds. Young shoebill storks reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 years. Once the chicks hatch, they are catered for by their parents until they are around 105 days when they are able to fledge. Both parents take part in building the nest on a floating platform. The female lays its eggs in a nest measuring about 1 to 1.7 meters wide, and can reach 3 meters deep.

A female shoebill stork can lay between one to three eggs which measure between 80 to 90 mm high, 56 to 61 mm wide and weigh approximately 164 grams.

Gestation Period of the Shoebill Stork.Ī shoebill stork has a gestation period of 30 days.

Shoebill storks have sharp edges in their mandibles to help them decapitate or tear their prey, and also discard any vegetation after catching their prey. A mature female shoebill stork can weigh about 6kg while a male shoebill can weigh about 5kg, which is about 12 pounds. Shoebill storks have long feet that reach about 18cm, and they can reach a height of 4 to 5 feet when standing on two legs. An adult male Shoebill stork is mainly grey while the juveniles are browner. This bird is also referred to by other names such as the whale-head, whale-headed stork, or shoe-billed stork. The Shoebill stork derives its name from its huge shoe-shaped beak or bill. In this article, we clearly highlight some unique facts about the Shoebill Stork that you might find interesting to know The shoebill is a rare bird to sight as it mostly inhabits fresh swamps of tropical African countries like Uganda, South Sudan, eastern Congo, Rwanda, western Tanzania, and northern Zambia to mention but a few.

Birding tours in Uganda have increased of the recent years, with the shoebill being at the top of the birders’ list. 8 facts about the shoebill stork: The shoebill stork is a highly sought after bird by most birding tourists in Uganda.

African shoebill facts