Shoebill stares down snake before striking.

Last month we featured footage of an enormous, dinosaur-like shoebill that had landed on a tour boat in Uganda and was photographed in a way that made the striking bird appear even larger.

“We were all shocked to see such a moment,” Innocent the Guide, of Mabamba Trips, told FTW Outdoors. “It’s rare, once in a lifetime.”

While the footage showcased the shoebill’s size and prehistoric-looking appearance – they can stand 5 feet and boast 8-foot wingspans – it did not reveal the shoebill’s cunning predatory technique.

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More recently, I discovered the accompanying footage, which shows a Mabamba Swamp shoebill stalking, striking and gobbling a snake as though it were a mere worm. The footage was shared in September by Wild Uganda, with Mabamba Trips as a collaborator.

The description: “The shoebill doesn’t chase its prey — it waits like a statue. With deadly patience, it locks eyes on fish, baby crocodiles, or even snakes! Then in a flash it strikes with its massive beak — sometimes decapitating prey instantly."

Shoebills are listed as "vulnerable" throughout their range in tropical central-eastern Africa, with threats that include habitat loss, illegal pet trade, and general disturbance.

The overall population is fewer than 8,000, so places such as Mabamba Swamp attract birders from around the world.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Massive 'dinosaur bird' stalks, devours snake in Uganda swamp

Reporting by Pete Thomas, For The Win / For The Win

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