17/04/2026
The one and only Shoebill!
One of Uganda’s most prized possessions, this prehistoric bird is a living memory of a time gone by.
Standing over a metre tall and hunting anything from small fish to frogs, lizards and even small mammals, it is quite the presence in the swamps.
They are most known for their intense stares and “clicking” beaks that sound like a machine gun, reverberating through the papyrus.
With roughly 5000 (estimates vary between 3000-5000) individuals left in the wild, Uganda is one of their last strongholds and certainly the best place to see them in their natural habitat.
In fact the tourism for shoebills is set up so efficiently that most people who visit the swamps of mabamba get a sighting of this great creature ✅
Photographing and taking videos of the shoebill is both easy and challenging depending on what is sought after.
- On one hand they stay very still and tend to state intensely making for great portrait opportunity. The backgrounds are bright and colourful with wonderful green tones that showcase the lush foliage they are surrounded in.
- On the other hand, photos can be repetitive and similar due to this very fact and trying to get an action shot is even harder since they can remain still for hours whilst hunting! Patience is the name of the game here
Overall the shoebill is a fantastic feature of a wonderful country where tours are more than just safaris on a savannah. Combined with the famous gorilla trekking, Uganda is one of the best locations on the planet for sheer diversity of wildlife 🇺🇬
All photos and videos taken by 📸
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