Facts about the Shoebill/Balaeniceps rex.
Shoebills are large, prehistoric-looking birds which live in freshwater marshes and swamps in East
Africa, thus referred by many as the “king of the marshes”.
The Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex, are sometimes incorrectly referred to as a stork, they are more closely related to pelicans. The Shoebill can be found in freshwater swamps in Africa from South Sudan to Zambia.
The shoebill is classified as Vulnerable, meaning the species is at high risk of becoming extinct. Estimates suggest there are only between 3,300 and 5,300 mature individuals left in the wild, and populations are on the decline. Their future is in danger due to hunting, nesting disturbance, habitat loss, and drought caused by climate
Diet: Carnivore
Life span: up to 35 years
Size: up to 152 cm
Weight: females – 4.9kg, males – 5.6kg
Did you know?
Have you ever seen a bill quite like the one of a shoebill? The bird is named after this signature feature and its resemblance to a shoe, their bill is the third longest of all living birds. Its sharp edges and hook at the tip allows the bird to grab, grip, and kill live prey.
Shoebills are mostly patient by and can remain still as a statue for hours. Their patience pays off when it’s time to feed, allowing them to ambush unsuspecting prey who likely had no idea the motionless bird was lurking in the area. Once prey is in its sights, the bird will quickly strike, with 60% of attempts resulting in a kill. Their sharp, large beak allows the shoebill to hunt larger prey than is typical for wading birds. They primarily eat fish, showing a preference for lungfish, but will also prey on frogs, water snakes, mad fish, and monitor lizards.
The shoebill is a solitary species, choosing to forage 20 metres or more apart and when breeding, less than three nests are found per square kilometre. Even when paired up in the breeding season, shoebills still appreciate their own space and will feed at opposite ends of their territory. The breeding pair build their nest together on floating vegetation and defend their territory aggressively. Females lay up to two to maximum three white eggs and when hatched, both parents feed, guard, and shade the chicks.
Although shoebills commonly hatch more than one chick, they only raise one. The younger chicks are usually left to die, unless the eldest is weak or doesn’t survive. The adult cares for a chick between 8 months to a year. Adult Shoebills are grey in color and juveniles are brown.
Differences between a male and a female Shoebill.
- A male is always bigger compared to a female.
- Both are grey in color but a female is slightly paler and a male is darker.
- A female is shy compared to a male
- Both Shoebills have crests on their heads but that of a female is slightly longer than that of a male.
Note. It’s not easy to observe these differences unless you have got a chance of finding two Shoebills together.
Written by Lwere Shakul. Born and raised in Mabamba, Shakul is an ornithologist, conservationists, Shoebill researcher and a tourist guide at Mabamba Swamp.