Where to see a shoebill in the US: what zoos have shoebill storks, state by state
If you want to see a shoebill in the US, the 2 places confirmed on official websites in October 2026 are ZooTampa in Florida and the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas.
At a glance
This article walks through 11 topics, in this order.
- Where can you see a shoebill in the US?
- Which states and countries have a shoebill zoo?
- What will you see at ZooTampa in Florida?
- What about the shoebill at the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas?
- Does the San Diego Zoo have a shoebill stork?
- Which other US zoos used to have shoebills?
…and 5 more in the contents below.
Contents
- Where can you see a shoebill in the US?
- Which states and countries have a shoebill zoo?
- What will you see at ZooTampa in Florida?
- What about the shoebill at the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas?
- Does the San Diego Zoo have a shoebill stork?
- Which other US zoos used to have shoebills?
- Is there a shoebill zoo in Canada, Mexico or South America?
- Where can you see a shoebill in Australia?
- How do you plan a visit to see a shoebill?
- Where else in the world can you see shoebills?
- Sources
KouWe checked this page on October 25, 2026 against the official websites of each zoo, a zoo report, news articles and bird conservation data. Shoebills can move between zoos, for example for breeding. Always check the zoo's official website before you go. "Not found" means we did not find one within the range of our search.
Where can you see a shoebill in the US?
At ZooTampa in Tampa, Florida, and at the Dallas World Aquarium in Dallas, Texas. In October 2026, both list the shoebill stork on their official animal pages.
| State | Facility | City | What the official website shows (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | ZooTampa at Lowry Park | Tampa | "Shoebill Stork" in the zoo's animal list, with its own page |
| Texas | The Dallas World Aquarium | Dallas | "Shoebill stork" at the top of the "Borneo" exhibit page |
Neither facility publishes how many shoebills it has, or their names. The two are about 1,475 km (917 mi) apart in a straight line.
Many people also search for "what zoos have shoebill storks". Worldwide, only about 20 facilities keep them, and the US has just these 2 that we could confirm. So a shoebill really is a rare sight in an American zoo.
Which states and countries have a shoebill zoo?
Only Florida and Texas, as far as we could confirm. For the other places people search for, the table shows the nearest confirmed facility. Distances are straight-line distances between big cities that we calculated, not driving distances.
| State or country | Shoebill now? | Nearest place we confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Yes | ZooTampa (Tampa) |
| Texas | Yes | The Dallas World Aquarium (Dallas) |
| California | Not confirmed (San Diego had them in the past) | Dallas: about 1,990 km (1,240 mi) from Los Angeles |
| Ohio | Not confirmed (Cincinnati Zoo had a breeding program) | Tampa: about 1,250 km (780 mi) from Cincinnati |
| New York | Not found | Tampa: about 1,620 km (1,000 mi) from New York City |
| Illinois | Not found | Dallas: about 1,300 km (800 mi) from Chicago |
| Other US states | Not found | ZooTampa or Dallas, whichever is closer |
| Canada | Not found | Tampa: about 1,770 km (1,100 mi) from Toronto. Dallas: about 2,850 km (1,770 mi) from Vancouver |
| Mexico | Not found | Dallas: about 1,500 km (930 mi) from Mexico City |
| Central and South America, Caribbean | Not found | The 2 US facilities. Tampa is about 2,730 km (1,700 mi) from Bogotá |
| Australia and New Zealand | Not found | Bird Paradise in Singapore: about 6,300 km (3,920 mi) from Sydney |
| United Kingdom | Yes | Exmoor Zoo in Devon, England |
| Japan | Yes | 8 facilities |
If you searched for "shoebill zoo near me", this table is the quick answer. In North America, every trip to see a shoebill ends in Tampa or Dallas.
What will you see at ZooTampa in Florida?
ZooTampa is the zoo where North America's first shoebill chick hatched, at Christmas 2009. It lists the shoebill stork among its animals in October 2026.
| Item | ZooTampa |
|---|---|
| Official name | ZooTampa at Lowry Park |
| Address | 1101 W. Sligh Avenue, Tampa, Florida |
| Accreditation | AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) |
| Number of animals | More than 1,000 |
| Shoebill facts on the zoo's page | Height 3.5 to 5 ft (1.07 to 1.5 m), wingspan 7.7 ft (2.3 m), lifespan 35 years, "Vulnerable" |
| Other big water birds in the animal list | Hamerkop, marabou stork, brown pelican |
The zoo's page notes some lovely details. Shoebills are silent most of the time, but pairs greet each other by "bill-clattering". Parents may pour water over the eggs to keep them cool ("egg-watering").
The zoo's first shoebills came from Tanzania in January 2006. On December 25, 2009, the chick began breaking out of its egg, and it was confirmed hatched on December 26. It was the first in North America and the second in the world. The chick, a female, was named Binti, which means "daughter" in Swahili.
Before that, in June 2009, the pair had been moved to "North Lake", a netted lake area stocked with fish. They began catching fish right away. The first egg in North America followed on October 3, 2009.
KouThis part is Kou's guess. The pair began catching live fish as soon as they moved to the lake, and laid an egg about 4 months later. A place where they could hunt for themselves, a bit like a wild marsh, might have made them feel ready to nest.
For a long time the birds were off display. In March 2021, a new home opened in the zoo's Africa area. The local TV station FOX13 reported that ZooTampa was home to 3 of the only 4 shoebills in the United States. The full story is in ZooTampa shoebill storks, and chick growth is in Baby shoebills.
What about the shoebill at the Dallas World Aquarium in Texas?
The Dallas World Aquarium shows the shoebill on its "Borneo" exhibit page in October 2026. Despite the name, it is home to many birds as well as fish.
| Item | The Dallas World Aquarium |
|---|---|
| Location | Downtown Dallas, near the West End Historic District |
| Building | A warehouse built in 1924 |
| Opened | October 1992 |
| Accreditation | AZA (since 1997) |
| Where the shoebill appears | The "Borneo" exhibit page. The 2024 field guide lists it on the 2nd floor |
| Shoebill facts on its page | Average weight 12.3 lb (5.6 kg), bill 8 to 12 in (20 to 25 cm) long |
The aquarium's page describes a bill shaped like a hook-tipped Dutch clog, with cutting edges. It also says males are slightly larger than females and have longer bills.
Inside, you should not feed or touch the animals, and flash photography is not allowed. More is in Dallas World Aquarium shoebill stork.
Does the San Diego Zoo have a shoebill stork?
We could not confirm one there today. It did keep shoebills in the past, which is why the question comes up so often.
A 2010 report by ZooTampa's director (Killmar 2010) says the San Diego Wild Animal Park, now called the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, had kept shoebills since the 1980s. That was the longest experience in North America. ZooTampa even sent a spare female there, to be paired with a male.
In October 2026 we could not open the zoo's official animal pages to check, and we found no recent official news of shoebills there. So we list San Diego as "in the past". If you are in California, ask the zoo before you go.
Which other US zoos used to have shoebills?
Cincinnati Zoo also appears in older records. We could not confirm shoebills there today.
- Cincinnati Zoo (Ohio): the 2010 report says the zoo wanted to revive its shoebill breeding program. We found no official sign of shoebills there now
The numbers in US zoos have gone down over time.
| Year | Shoebills in North American zoos | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 11 adults at 5 institutions, 3 of them in Tampa | Killmar 2010 (ZooTampa's report) |
| 2021 | 4 in the US, 3 of them at ZooTampa | FOX13 |
| October 2026 | 2 facilities confirmed on official websites | ZooTampa and Dallas World Aquarium |
Here is the point. In 2010 shoebills were shown at 5 places in North America, but in October 2026 we could confirm only 2.
KouThis part is Kou's guess. Both places we could confirm are in the warm south, and the Dallas World Aquarium is set inside an old warehouse building. In Tampa, the chick was brought indoors on a very cold night in February 2010. Since the shoebill's home is near the equator, a warm climate or an indoor space might make life easier for them in the US.
Is there a shoebill zoo in Canada, Mexico or South America?
We did not find one. Within our search, no facility in Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America or the Caribbean keeps shoebills.
From eastern Canada, ZooTampa is usually the closer choice. From western Canada and from Mexico, Dallas is closer. For people in Latin America, Shoebills in Latin America has more on where to go.
Where can you see a shoebill in Australia?
We did not find any zoo in Australia or New Zealand that keeps shoebills. The nearest place is Bird Paradise in Singapore.
Searches like "shoebill stork zoo australia" are common, but the answer in October 2026 is Singapore. Sydney to Singapore is about 6,300 km (3,920 mi), and Auckland to Singapore is about 8,400 km (5,230 mi). See Shoebill Singapore and Where to see shoebills in Asia.
How do you plan a visit to see a shoebill?
Check the zoo's official website first, then go with time to wait. A shoebill can stand still for a long time, so a quick walk past may show you only a gray statue.
- Check the official animal page and news just before your trip. Shoebills can go off display or move to another zoo
- Plan extra time at the exhibit. ZooTampa's page says shoebills stand motionless for long periods while waiting for prey
- Follow the rules on photos. The Dallas World Aquarium does not allow flash
- Search the species name as well. Zoo pages call it "shoebill stork", and its scientific name is Balaeniceps rex
KouKou's tip: if the bird is not moving, watch its eyes and head. Small turns of the head are easy to miss, and they make the wait fun.
People also ask "how much does a shoebill cost". Shoebills are protected by international trade rules, and they are not pets. The details are in Can you own a shoebill as a pet?.
Where else in the world can you see shoebills?
Outside the US, shoebills live in zoos in Japan, Europe and Asia. Wild shoebills live only in the wetlands of Africa.
| Region | Where | More |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | 8 facilities, 15 birds | Shoebill zoos in Japan |
| Europe | 5 facilities, including Exmoor Zoo in England | Where to see shoebills in Europe and Exmoor Zoo |
| Asia outside Japan | Bird Paradise in Singapore and an aquarium in South Korea | Where to see shoebills in Asia |
| Africa (wild) | Wetlands in Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda and other countries | Wild shoebills in Africa |
Japan has the most shoebill facilities of any country. The whole map is in Where to see shoebills around the world.
Sources
- ZooTampa: Animal list (checked October 25, 2026)
- ZooTampa: Shoebill Stork (checked October 25, 2026)
- Killmar (2010): Shoebill success, North America's first shoebill chick at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo (AFA Watchbird)
- FOX13: Rare birds go back on public display at ZooTampa (March 30, 2021)
- The Dallas World Aquarium: Borneo exhibit (checked October 25, 2026)
- The Dallas World Aquarium: Shoebill stork
- The Dallas World Aquarium: About DWA
- The Dallas World Aquarium: Field Guide 2024 (PDF)
- Bird Paradise (Singapore): Shoebill
- Exmoor Zoo: Shoebilled stork
- Prague Zoo: Shoebill (European numbers, 2025)
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