At dawn in Uganda's Mabamba Swamp, a photographer glides through the reeds in search of a bird that looks like a survivor from the age of dinosaurs. Rocco Scanzuso tells how he found it.
Meeting the shoebill in Mabamba
Wildlife photographer and videographer Rocco Scanzuso travels to Uganda with one goal in mind: to see a shoebill. He sets out at first light with local guides, gliding by boat through the still waterways of Mabamba Swamp, and finds the bird standing motionless like a statue.
He describes a bird up to 1.5 metres tall, with a wingspan of around 2.5 metres and a bill that can reach 24 centimetres. It hunts fish such as lungfish, tilapia and catfish, waiting patiently before it strikes. He also covers its nesting season between December and May, when it usually lays two eggs, yet frequently just one chick makes it.
The shoebill is endangered, with an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 left. Scanzuso names swamp drainage, climate change and the illegal wildlife trade as the main threats. He also looks at the nickname living fossil, a reference to the bird's ancient lineage tied to herons and pelicans. For him, each photograph is a way to inspire people to protect what remains of wild places.
_This story was written by Rocco Scanzuso for Untold Wildlife, our partner in bringing overlooked conservation stories to more people._