Shoebill

Balaeniceps rex Gould, 1850

Balaenicipitidae — Shoebill

Shoebill, Balaeniceps rex, lives in freshwater swamps across tropical Africa, from South Sudan and Uganda to south-west Ethiopia, south-east DR Congo and northern Zambia. It was described by Gould in 1850 and belongs to the family Balaenicipitidae in the order Pelecaniformes. The bird is best recognised by its enormous bill, which is shaped like a shoe. Adults are mainly grey, while young birds are browner. It is a tall wading bird with a stork-like outline, and its broad wings are suited to soaring.

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Balaenicipitidae — Shoebill
Breeding range
Africa: s Sudan, Uganda and sw Ethiopia to se DR Congo and n Zambia
Shoebill
© Mangapwani · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

31 tours in Uganda 30, Rwanda 1

Birds and Wildlife of Uganda with Lawson's Safaris
Birds and Wildlife of Uganda with Lawson's Safaris
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 15 days

Follow a 15-day Ugandan birding circuit from Lake Victoria through Nile, savanna and Albertine Rift forests to Bwindi and Lake Mburo....

From USD 5,350 Next: Aug 1, 2027
12-Day Uganda Birding, Safari and Primates Tour – 2027
12-Day Uganda Birding, Safari and Primates Tour – 2027
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 12 days

A 12-day Uganda circuit combining Shoebill and Albertine Rift birding with savanna wildlife, boat cruises and optional chimpanzee and mounta...

From USD 3,315 Next: Feb 11, 2027
Fourteen-Day Uganda Birding Safari
Fourteen-Day Uganda Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 14 days

A fourteen-day guided circuit from Entebbe and Mabamba to Bwindi, Mgahinga, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale, Bigodi and Semliki....

From USD 5,000
21 Days Uganda and Rwanda Birding: Elgon, Semuliki and Nyungwe
21 Days Uganda and Rwanda Birding: Elgon, Semuliki and Nyungwe
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 21 days

A private Entebbe-to-Kigali birding journey combining Mount Elgon, several Semuliki forest days, Lake Mburo, Bwindi and two full days in Nyu...

24 Days Uganda Bird Photography: Karamoja to Bwindi
24 Days Uganda Bird Photography: Karamoja to Bwindi
Uganda / Entebbe Photo tour 24 days

A photography-focused Uganda circuit with morning and evening sessions, traveling through Pian Upe, Kidepo, Murchison, the western forests a...

25 Days Uganda Birding: Elgon, Karamoja and the Western Forests
25 Days Uganda Birding: Elgon, Karamoja and the Western Forests
Uganda / Entebbe Custom tour 25 days

A country-spanning Uganda birding journey through Mount Elgon, Pian Upe, Matheniko and Kidepo, followed by Budongo, Semuliki, Bwindi, Mgahin...

24 Days Uganda and Rwanda Birding: Savannas and Albertine Forests
24 Days Uganda and Rwanda Birding: Savannas and Albertine Forests
Uganda / Entebbe Custom tour 24 days

An Entebbe-to-Kigali journey through Uganda’s major birding habitats, Mgahinga, Akagera and Nyungwe, with time for forest specialties and ...

18 Days Uganda Birding: Forests, Falls and Albertine Rift
18 Days Uganda Birding: Forests, Falls and Albertine Rift
Uganda / Entebbe Custom tour 18 days

An extended Uganda circuit with full days in Mabira, Budongo, Semuliki and both Bwindi sectors, plus Murchison Falls, Kazinga and Lake Mburo...

7 Days Uganda Birding: Mabamba, Budongo and Semuliki
7 Days Uganda Birding: Mabamba, Budongo and Semuliki
Uganda / Entebbe Custom tour 7 days

A busy week from Mabamba’s Shoebill channels to Budongo and Semuliki forest trails, with Murchison Falls and Kazinga Channel boat trips an...

14 Days Uganda Birding: Bwindi, Semuliki and Murchison Falls
14 Days Uganda Birding: Bwindi, Semuliki and Murchison Falls
Uganda / Entebbe Custom tour 14 days

Travel from Mabamba and Lake Mburo to Bwindi’s high forests, then north through Kibale, Semuliki and Budongo to Murchison Falls, with gori...

28-Day Uganda Birding Circuit: Mount Elgon, Kidepo and Albertine Rift
28-Day Uganda Birding Circuit: Mount Elgon, Kidepo and Albertine Rift
Uganda / Entebbe Custom tour 28 days

A four-week Uganda birding circuit from Mount Elgon and Kidepo to western forests, Bwindi, Lake Mburo and Mabamba, ending with forest birdin...

From USD 5,578
15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
15-Day Uganda Birding Tour 2027
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 15 days

A 15-day Uganda birding circuit from Entebbe through Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo, Mgahinga, Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Semliki for Sh...

From USD 4,685
8-Day Uganda Birding, Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking
8-Day Uganda Birding, Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 8 days

Eight private days combine Mabamba Shoebill birding with Kibale chimpanzees, Queen Elizabeth wildlife and a permit-dependent Bwindi gorilla ...

15-Day Uganda Birding and Wildlife Safari
15-Day Uganda Birding and Wildlife Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 15 days

Across fifteen private days, explore Mabamba wetlands, the Nile at Murchison, western forests, Queen Elizabeth savannah and Lake Mburo....

8-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Birding Safari
8-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 8 days

Across eight private days in western Uganda, combine primate tracking with wildlife drives at Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale and Murchison ...

18-Day Uganda Birding and Primates Tour
18-Day Uganda Birding and Primates Tour
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 18 days

An extensive Uganda safari combining Mabamba, Murchison Falls, Budongo, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo with birding and prim...

15-Day Uganda Photography, Primates and Birding Safari
15-Day Uganda Photography, Primates and Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 15 days

A photography-led birding and primate safari combining Murchison Falls, Budongo, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Rwanda’s Volcanoes re...

16-Day Albertine Rift Endemic Birding Safari
16-Day Albertine Rift Endemic Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 16 days

A specialist western Uganda route focused on Albertine Rift endemics, with birding in Mgahinga, Bwindi, the Rwenzori foothills, Semuliki and...

17-Day Uganda Birding and Wildlife Safari
17-Day Uganda Birding and Wildlife Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 17 days

A birding and wildlife journey from Entebbe through Murchison Falls, Budongo, Kibale, Semuliki, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Mburo and Mabi...

21-Day Multi-Habitat Uganda Birding Tour
21-Day Multi-Habitat Uganda Birding Tour
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 21 days

A three-week Uganda birding circuit across wetlands, savannah, lowland and montane forests, Albertine Rift habitats and eastern grasslands....

30-Day Hardcore Uganda Birding Safari
30-Day Hardcore Uganda Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 30 days

An intensive month-long expedition linking Uganda’s major wetlands, Albertine Rift forests, savannah parks and eastern dry-country habitat...

14-Day Uganda Birding for Special Species
14-Day Uganda Birding for Special Species
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 14 days

A focused circuit through Mabamba, Budongo, Kibale, Semuliki, Bwindi and Lake Mburo for Uganda’s wetland, forest and Albertine Rift specia...

Ultimate 26-Day Tailor-Made Uganda Birding Safari
Ultimate 26-Day Tailor-Made Uganda Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 26 days

A 26-day tailor-made circuit spanning Uganda’s Lake Victoria wetlands, western forests, Albertine Rift, Nile savanna and eastern dry-count...

6-Day Mount Elgon Pian Upe and Bisina-Opeta Birding
6-Day Mount Elgon Pian Upe and Bisina-Opeta Birding
Uganda / Mount Elgon Private tour 6 days

A six-day eastern Uganda birding route through Mount Elgon, Pian Upe and the Bisina/Opeta wetlands....

16-Day Uganda Mixed Ecosystems Popular Birding Safari
16-Day Uganda Mixed Ecosystems Popular Birding Safari
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 16 days

A 16-day Uganda circuit across Lake Victoria wetlands, western rainforests, Nile and savanna habitats, Bwindi’s Albertine Rift forests and...

1-Day Mabamba and Entebbe Botanical Gardens Birding
1-Day Mabamba and Entebbe Botanical Gardens Birding
Uganda / Entebbe Private tour 1 day

A one-day Uganda birding route pairing the papyrus wetlands of Mabamba Bay with the forest edge and lakeshore habitats of Entebbe Botanical ...

Akagera National Park Birding Safari with Roger Irakoze
Akagera National Park Birding Safari with Roger Irakoze
Rwanda / Akagera National Park Private tour 1 day

Full-day private Akagera birding safari for savannah, acacia woodland and wetland species....

From USD 40
22 Days Uganda Birding Tour
22 Days Uganda Birding Tour
Uganda / Kampala Group tour 22 days

A 22-day Uganda birding and primate circuit from Entebbe through Mabamba, Budongo, Murchison, Semuliki, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and ...

Uganda Budget Birding tour
Uganda Budget Birding tour
Uganda / Kampala Group tour 6 days

A six-day Uganda budget birding concept spanning rainforest, wetland, savanna and highland habitats, with the detailed daily route available...

Uganda Shoebill, Chimps, Culture and Game with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Uganda Shoebill, Chimps, Culture and Game with Johnnie Uganda Safaris
Uganda / Entebbe Group tour 9 days

9-day Uganda birding and wildlife itinerary with Johnnie Uganda Safaris....

Ultimate Uganda Explorer
Ultimate Uganda Explorer
Uganda / Uganda National Parks Private tour 9 days

A 9-day Uganda safari with gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, Queen Elizabeth game drives and a Murchison Falls adventure....

From USD 4,950