Where Do Shoebill Storks Come from?

Taller than a mailbox, with an eight-foot wingspan, the shoebill is quite a kick to observe! This hefty bird with its lesson-in-gray plumage is endemic to swamps and wetlands of Central and East Africa.

Where are shoebill storks native to?

Shoebill or whale-headed storks are endemic to Africa and inhabit the east-central part of the continent. The main populations are found in southern Sudan (mainly in the White Nile Sudd), the wetlands of northern Uganda and western Tanzania and the Bangweulu swamp of northeastern Zambia.

How many Shoebills are left?

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that there are only between 3,300 and 5,300 adult shoebills left in the world, and the population is going down. As land is cleared for pasture, habitat loss is a major threat, and sometimes cattle will trample on nests.