Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex).
Image: Olaf Oliviero Riemer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Birds
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2018 global assessment of Balaeniceps rex says VulnerableChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The shoebill is a tall wading bird of central African wetlands, instantly recognisable by its enormous shoe-shaped bill. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It hunts fish — especially lungfish — with patient, motionless stalking.
Range & habitat
Freshwater swamps of central tropical Africa, notably South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Wetland degradation and drainage
- Disturbance and nest destruction
- Capture for the bird trade
Why it matters
As a wetland specialist, the shoebill depends on extensive undisturbed swamps, making it a flagship for African wetland conservation.
Gallery
A shoebill in wetland habitat — Vulnerable.
Image: Eric Inafuku, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Shoebill
- IUCN Red List — look up Shoebill (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web