The viral video of a shoebill landing on a boat in Uganda’s Mabamba Swamp made the bird look almost dinosaur-like. Camera perspective and the shoebill’s massive bill make it appear larger than it really is — adults reach about 5 feet. Shoebills live in freshwater swamps from South Sudan to Zambia, can live up to 35 years, and were listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN in 2018 with an estimated 3,000–3,500 mature birds. The species faces threats from hunting, nesting disturbance and habitat loss.
Viral Shoebill Video: Why the 'Dinosaur-Like' Bird Isn’t as Huge as It Looks
The viral video of a shoebill landing on a boat in Uganda’s Mabamba Swamp made the bird look almost dinosaur-like. Camera perspective and the shoebill’s massive bill make it appear larger than it really is — adults reach about 5 feet. Shoebills live in freshwater swamps from South Sudan to Zambia, can live up to 35 years, and were listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN in 2018 with an estimated 3,000–3,500 mature birds. The species faces threats from hunting, nesting disturbance and habitat loss.
04:08 AM, 11/14/2025Environment
Viral shoebill video — real bird, exaggerated size
If you watched the viral clip of a shoebill landing on a boat in Uganda’s Mabamba Swamp, you likely wondered whether this prehistoric-looking bird could really be that enormous. The species is real and striking, but the footage — a close-up with people standing behind the bird — exaggerates its apparent size.
What makes a shoebill look so strange?
Shoebills get their name from their unusually large, shoe-shaped bills, one of the most distinctive features among living birds. That bulky bill, paired with a heavy head and a steep profile, can give the impression of a dinosaur-like creature, especially in tight camera shots.
"Birds are just a very specialized type of small meat-eating dinosaurs that learned to fly and were lucky enough to survive the big mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous 66 million years ago," said François Therrien, curator of dinosaur palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Alberta. "So resemblances are to be expected."
Size, behavior and biology
- Height: Shoebills can reach roughly 5 feet tall — taller than many children and some adults, but not the monstrous size the clip suggests.
- Bill: The broad bill has sharp edges and a hooked tip to seize, grip and dispatch live prey such as fish, frogs and small reptiles.
- Related species: Although sometimes called a stork colloquially, shoebills are more closely related to pelicans.
- Lifespan: They can live up to around 35 years in the wild or captivity.
Range, conservation and threats
Shoebills inhabit freshwater swamps across parts of central and eastern Africa, from South Sudan to Zambia. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed the species as Vulnerable in 2018, estimating about 3,000–3,500 mature birds and noting threats such as hunting, disturbance at nesting sites and habitat loss.
Perspective and records
Camera angle and perspective play a major role in viral wildlife footage — a close foreground object will dwarf background people. For context on beak size among birds, Guinness World Records lists the Australian pelican with the longest beak (nearly 20 inches), followed by other pelicans.
Where to see shoebills
Mabamba Bay, on the northwestern shore of Lake Victoria in Uganda, contains nearly 6,000 acres of internationally important wetlands and is a top destination for birdwatchers hoping to spot shoebills. In the United States, a few zoos — including ZooTampa at Lowry Park and the Houston Zoo — display shoebills for visitors.
Note: The viral clip was shared by the Instagram account Mabamba Trips, associated with a Ugandan wildlife tour operator. While the footage captures the impressive presence of the species, the bird’s true dimensions are less dramatic than the camera makes them appear.
Original reporting by Dinah Voyles Pulver for USA TODAY.