Shoebill Lab
You are about to discover the true shoebill
Everything about the bird that stands still, in photos and diagrams.
Explore the shoebill world
Start here
What is a shoebill? What family is it, and what kind of bird? Size, home and foodLife & Body
Why do shoebills stand still? Do they really not move for hours?Life & Body
How big is a shoebill? Height, wingspan and weight compared with people and other birdsLife & Body
What do shoebills eat? Their favorite lungfish, how they eat and how muchLife & BodySee all →
See them in the US & Europe
See all →
The shoebill in numbers
110–140 cm
230–260 cm
About 20 zoosYou are about to discover the true shoebill
It stands perfectly still. It has eyes that seem to glare right at you. It has a huge bill shaped like a shoe. Once you have seen a shoebill, you never forget it.
On this site we introduce the shoebill in depth, with plenty of photos and diagrams: its life and biology, why it stands still and its favorite food, all the way to where you can see one around the world. The site is available in seven languages: English, Japanese, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Spanish, Hindi and Portuguese.
Shoebill basics to know first
| Item | Shoebill |
|---|---|
| Classification | Order Pelecaniformes, family Balaenicipitidae (the only species in its family and genus) |
| Size | 110 to 140 cm tall, 230 to 260 cm wingspan |
| Home | Swamps of east-central Africa |
| Favorite food | Lungfish |
| Name | Shoebill (a bill like a shoe), also called whale-headed stork |
| Numbers | About 3,300 to 5,300 adults in the world (Vulnerable) |
| Where to see one | In the wild only in Africa; in about 20 zoos worldwide |
Where in the world can you see a shoebill?
Places to see a shoebill are rare. Here is the key point: wild shoebills live only in Africa, and only about 10 countries have one in a zoo.
- United States: two places, ZooTampa at Lowry Park in Florida and the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas. →Shoebills in the Americas
- Europe: zoos in the Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, the UK and Russia. →Shoebills in Europe
- Africa: wild shoebills in the swamps of Uganda, Zambia and more. →Wild shoebills in Africa
- Asia: Japan, Singapore and South Korea. →Shoebills in Asia
- Japan: home to more shoebills than anywhere else in Asia. →Shoebills in Japan
News from Japan's zoos, October 2026
- At Ueno Zoo (恩賜上野動物園), Hatuwe and Milly are scheduled to move to an off-exhibit facility for breeding. The October 26 date was postponed and no new date is set. For now, you can see all four. Check the official information before you go. →Where to see shoebills in Japan
- At Chiba Zoological Park (千葉市動物公園), Shizuka and Jitto are off display until around spring 2028.
- At Kakegawa Kachoen (掛川花鳥園), 2026 marks Futaba's (ふたば) 10th anniversary year. →Japan's star shoebills
Where to see shoebills around the world
Life & Body
Life & BodyWhat is a shoebill? What family is it, and what kind of bird? Size, home and foodWhat is a shoebill? A large bird of African swamps and the only member of its family. Size next to herons and pelicans, home, food, lifespan, and where to see one.Life & BodyHow big is a shoebill? Height, wingspan and weight compared with people and other birdsShoebill size: 110 to 140 cm tall, a 230 to 260 cm wingspan and 4 to 7 kg. Compared with children, pelicans and herons, males vs. females, zoo records and chick growth.
Life & BodyHow long do shoebills live? Average, longest records and why they live longShoebill lifespan: a record of 35.7 years in captivity, and Japan's Bill lived to an estimated 50 or more. Why the average is unknown, and how it compares with herons.Life & BodyWhat do shoebills eat? Their favorite lungfish, how they eat and how muchWhat do shoebills eat? Mostly fish: lungfish above all, plus catfish. Differences by country, how often they catch prey, how they swallow it whole, and zoo diets.Life & BodyWhy do shoebills stand still? Do they really not move for hours?Why do shoebills stand still? To wait for fish without being noticed. In the wild they spent 85% of their time standing, preening or sitting, and 14% walking.
Life & BodyWhat sound does a shoebill make? What bill clattering is and meansThe best-known shoebill sound is bill clattering, often compared to a machine gun. What makes the noise, what it means, the moo-like call, chick calls and storks.
Life & BodyCan shoebills fly? How they fly, how far, and why they rarely doYes, shoebills fly. A 230 to 260 cm wingspan lets them even soar on rising warm air. Wingbeat rate, GPS flight distances, chicks' first flights, and how to see one fly.US & Europe
Around the World
Japan’s Famous Shoebills
Japan’s Famous ShoebillsWhere can you see shoebills in Japan? All 8 zoos and bird parksWhere to see shoebills in Japan, by region: Kanto, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku and Shikoku. Ueno Zoo, Nasu, Kakegawa, Kobe, Koka, Matsue, Noichi and more (Oct 2026).
Japan’s Famous ShoebillsShoebill events 2026: zoo events in Japan, and days that come around every yearShoebill events as of October 23, 2026: Ueno Zoo's Hashibiro Cart and Shoebill Lab, Kobe's autumn event, ended events, free-entry days, bird counts and overseas events.
Japan’s Famous ShoebillsUeno Zoo shoebill guide: the 4 birds, their names, how to tell them apart and where they areThe shoebills at Ueno Zoo, Tokyo, on one page: the 4 names, telling them apart by leg rings, where the enclosure is, the delayed move of 2 birds, and the best time to go.
