The Shoebills are naturally solitary species. They dominate the poorly oxygenated water areas, especially marshes, swamps and bogs where fish often surfaces to breathe. They are among sensitive species to human disturbance and can leave nests in case they are flushed by humans. The Shoebill moves slowly and often stays still for longer time a reason they are often referred to as “statue-like” species. They also exist in Northern Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia, Upper Congo River, Malawi, Okavango Basin and others. These include Southern Sudan and South Sudan Uganda, Rwanda, Western Tanzania, and Northern Zambia. The Shoebill Storks live in freshwater swampy area of tropical Africa. The shoebills can fly for 100-500 meters and rarely take long flights. Their flapping rate is about 150 flaps per minute- making it the slowest rate among bird species. When flying, Shoebill wings are held flat and they fly with their necks retracted. During nesting season, adults and nestlings involve in bill-clattering- this is how they communicate with each other. While clattering, adults utter a cow-kind of moo on a high pitch. Shoebills are silent birds although they often bill-clatter while in their nests. The breast area has elongated feathers with dark shafts. The plumage of adult birds is blue-grey and the darker slaty-grey flight feathers. The wings of Shoebills are broad featuring wing chord length of 58.8-78 cm. By nature, they are good hunters on aquatic vegetation. The feet are distinctly large with the middle toe measuring 16.8-18.5 cm. They have long legs with tarsus length measuring 21.7 to 25.5 cm. The shoebill’s exposed culmen measures about 18.8 and 24 cm, ranked 3 rd longest bill among the extant birds after pelicans and storks. The unique feature among Shoebills is their large, bulbous bills that are straw-colored with erratic greyish markings. The males are slightly heavier than females that weigh about 4.9 kg. Shoebills weigh between 4 and 7 kg with males’ weight by average measures 5.6 kg. Their tails range from 100 to 140 cm and their wings span from 230 to 260 cm. They are tall with a height measuring between 110 and 140 cm while others can grow up to 152 cm. 9 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari.7 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari.6 Days Uganda Primates and Cultural Tour.6 Days Uganda Chimpanzees and Big Five Tour.5 Days Uganda Safari (Mabamba, Jinja and Murchison Falls).5 Days Uganda Gorilla and Cultural Tour.5 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari.5 Days Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari.4 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari.3 Days Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari.3 Days Uganda Fishing Safari in Lake Mburo.
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