Behaviour This species is mostly sedentary, although it may make some movements in order to find optimal feeding habitat as water levels vary (del Hoyo et al. 1992). In South Sudan there are regular seasonal movements between feeding and breeding zones (Guillet 1978). It is very solitary. Even within the pair, male and female will often feed at opposite ends of their territory (del Hoyo et al. 1992). Loose aggregations may occasionally occur where receding water levels and large numbers of fish become concentrated in a small area (Hancock et al. 1992). It breeds solitarily, usually maintaining a density of fewer than three nests per square kilometre (Hancock et al. 1992). The breeding season is long. Eggs are laid at the end of the rains, as waters start to recede, and chicks fledge towards the end of the dry season (Hancock et al. 1992). Habitat Breeding It both breeds and forages in seasonally flooded marshes, but may utilise separate habitats for foraging and breeding (Renson 1998, Ngwenyama 2012). The vegetation in these flooded marshes is dominated by a mixture of papyrus Cyperus papyrus, reeds e.g. Phragmites spp., cattails Typha spp. and grasses, particularly Miscanthidium spp. (Hancock et al. 1992). It is often found in areas with abundant floating vegetation, often papyrus (Baker 1996). It also uses permanent non-papyrus swamps in areas such as the Malagarasi (Tanzania) (Dinesen and Baker 2006) and Lake Victoria (Uganda) (L. Dinesen in litt. 2007). Non-breeding It usually forages in shallow water (del Hoyo et al. 1992) where it makes use of clear channels among the vegetation that have been created by the movements of large mammals (del Hoyo et al. 1992). It tends to avoid areas where the vegetation is too dense to be penetrated easily, or is taller than the bird's back (Hancock et al. 1992). It is reported to prefer water that is poorly oxygenated, where fish are forced to surface to breathe, and are thus more easily caught (Guillet 1978), which is why it is thought not to frequent swamps that are characterised by papyrus alone (Guillet 1978). In South Sudan it has been known to forage on rice fields and other flooded plantations (Hancock et al. 1992). Diet When feeding, it shows a preference for lungfish Protopterus aethiopicus, but takes a variety of fish species including Senegal Bichir Polypterus senegalus, catfish Clarias spp. and tilapia Tilapia spp. (Guillet 1979, del Hoyo et al. 1992). It also preys on aquatic animals such as amphibians, young crocodiles and watersnakes (Briggs 2007, Hancock et al. 1992), and may even take rodents and young waterfowl (Hancock et al. 1992). Diet seems to vary geographically: lungfish and catfish are the main prey species in Uganda, and catfish and watersnakes the preferred diet in Zambia (Hancock et al. 1992, Mullers and Amar 2015a). Breeding site The nest is grassy construction, up to 3 m wide, on a mound of floating vegetation or a small island (Briggs 2007), and often among dense stands of papyrus (Hancock et al. 1992). The maximum clutch size is three, although usually only one nestling will survive, with rare records of two chicks fledging (Mullers and Amar 2015b). The species can live for around 50 years (although it is likely to live less long in the wild [R. Mullers in litt. 2016]), takes three to four years to reach reproductive maturity, and is monogamous.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. A Single Species Conservation Action Plan was developed in 2012 (Dodman 2013), including a stakeholder workshop, with representatives of all range states. Also, a conservation management plan (Mullers 2014) is currently implemented by the Bangweulu Wetlands Management Board. Steps are being taken in South Sudan to understand the population better and improve the status of protected areas.  Several key Shoebill sites are designated Ramsar sites in South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. In Bangweulu Wetlands local fishermen are employed as guards to protect Shoebill nests, and this raises local awareness, as well as increasing breeding success (Mullers and Amar 2015b). 

Conservation Actions Proposed
Identify key areas for monitoring and conduct regular surveys. Select important areas for protection. Reduce disturbance and establish buffer zones in protected areas (L. Dinesen in litt. 2007). Enforce legislation in protected areas (L. Dinesen in litt. 2007). Create community-based environmental awareness programmes focussed on generating Shoebill-pride to discourage hunting. Encourage further development of ecotourism based around this species. Investigate the potential occurrence of seasonal movements (Briggs 2007). Monitor rates of habitat conversion across its range. Re-submit the proposal to upgrade the species to CITES Appendix I, and implement trade control. Determine the Sudd swamps population size and trend (T. Dodman in litt. to Wetlands International 2002), and refine the national and global population estimates. Assess the viability of the population in Gambella, Ethiopia, an area under high pressure from agricultural developments.