Take a shoebill tour in Mabamba wetland; Mabamba is one of the must-see locations in Uganda if you want to see the Shoebill stork, is located along the edge of Lake Victoria, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, in a marsh to the north-west of the Entebbe peninsula. One of the nation’s Ramsar sites, Best birding sites in Uganda the swampland was recognized on September 15th 2006.
The distance from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda is about 60 kilometers southwards in Mpigi district. Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo are close neighbors of Uganda, sometimes known as “the Perl of Africa.” This location is undoubtedly one of the best in Uganda for birdwatching.
Focus on the rare shoebill stock, the most sought-after bird species on the continent of Africa. Knowing the history, appearance, and sound of a Shoebill stock is a wonderful blessing to people who are familiar with birds. They primarily live in swampy areas where there are many different papyrus plants and other aquatic birds. They are obedient toward humans and can roam up to six feet from their nests, where they glare at visitors to their lands. A trip to Mabamba Island is ideal for viewing shoebills in Uganda and East Africa. They are thought to be 5,300 adult shoebills on the planet, yet their numbers are dwindling as a result of habitat loss and other factors.
A skilled operator navigates a safe traditional canoe boat through the confined waterways while tracking the shoebill. For the trip to run smoothly, jackets and other necessary birding supplies are given. One can take a boat from the Nkaiwogo landing site in Entebbe to get to the mainland. The tour is expected to last 3–4 hours, during which the knowledgeable birder will provide facts about these endangered species. Mabamba Island may be reached by car in about 2 hours through the Kisubi-Nakawuka Road.
The magnificent bird is also known by the names whale head, species B. rex, order Pelecaniformes, kingdom animalia, and class Aves. Its enormous bill, which resembles a shoe and gives it the name shoebill, places it in the order ciconiiformes, which includes storks. It is 3.5 feet tall, 12.3 pounds in weight, and 7.7 feet in length. A shoebill stands five feet tall and has little feathered crest, gray feathers, white belly, and yellow eyes. A shoebill stork’s lifespan is predicted to be around 36 years. Despite having a bulky appearance, they can fly, albeit seldom. They attack the vulnerable creatures that come their way because they are aggressive.
They live in freshwater swamps with thick marshes, excess flow, and reedbeds, papyrus, and floating plants all over them. The adults are grey, while the little ones are brown. The upper mandible has a nail and is keeled. The short neck, big wings, and large feet are all adaptations for soaring. The shoebill consumes a variety of fish, including lungfish, catfish, eels, Nile monitor lizards, young crocodiles, and snakes.
Shoebill Stock Tour price.
In addition to transportation fees and other tour expenses like meals, there are three different tariff rates for shoebill trackers: Entrance fees is as follows; 15,000ugx for foreign residents, 10,000ugx for Ugandans and 25,000/= (8$) for foreign non-residents. The money collected from tourists is used for both community improvement and wetland preservation.
Additional charges include 40$ for a boat hire, per group of 4-5 people.
Best time to do Shoebill tour at Mabamba Island.
The shoebills are present and can be observed all year because the area is swampy. However, there are other months that are far more advantageous with a high likelihood of seeing many migratory species. These are late June to early July, March to May, and November. When there are fewer storms, showers, and other hazards, canoe rides are significantly safer. The knowledgeable shoebill tour operators are on hand and will take guests on tours around the island for a fee. The weeklong birding activity is available during the day. Since it is ideal to see these and other bird species during the morning hours, the daily drive to Mabamba Island begins at 7:00 am.
Over 260 bird species can be found in the Mabamba Swamp, some of which migrate there during the high season. The common greenshank, Osprey, Blue-headed coucal, Grosbeak, orange weaver, Red billed fire Finch, white-shouldered Tit, Sand Martin, Mosque Swallow, African Pied wag tail, Weyns weaver, and other birds can also be seen on Mabamba Island.
Spend a whole day traveling to the Mabamba Swamp to see one of Africa’s favorite birds, the shoebill stork. The experience is amazing and the destination is secure and easily reachable from Kampala and Entebbe.
