A shoebill tour at Mabamba Swamp is undoubtedly the best way to start your journey to explore facts about the elusive shoebill storks. Joining a shoebill tour at Mabamba wetland in Uganda allows you to witness not only the majestic shoebill stork but also other 300 species of birds. The shoebill stork excursion at Mabamba is best done with the presence of an expert guide.
Mabamba wetland/swamp is one of the top places to find shoebill storks in Uganda. A birding tour in the Mabamba swamp never goes unmentioned without shoebill trekking. The shoebill tours go beyond searching or observing these elusive creatures but also involve taking pictures of them as they hunt for food in the swamp. Shoebill tours at Mabamba Swamp are conducted using a dugout canoe and visitors are accompanied by an expert.
About the elusive shoebill stork
Shoebill storks are among the iconic elusive species weighing up to 14 pounds and can grow 150 cm. Shoebills leg about 1-3 eggs and males and females are all involved in the incubation stages till they get hatched. The female shoebill then takes responsibility for feeding the chicks up to the stage when they can fly. The flight stage usually falls around 3 months and officially, shoebills become mature at the age of 3 and 4 months.
Shoebill watching tour at Mabamba wetland
Visitors embark on the shoebill tour from Entebbe and with local experts. Over 20 shoebill storks are believed to be in Mabamba wetland. The overall shoebill excursion can take between 3 and 4 hours. Your tour can begin with pickup at the hotel in Entebbe and you get transferred to Nakiwogo Landing Site.
The search for shoebills may take about 3 hours and then you can use another 45 minutes to return to Nakiwogo. The canoe ride on Lake Victoria allows you to appreciate the unmatched serenity besides great encounters with the elusive shoebill itself.
The expert guides accompanying you have vast knowledge and experience in birding, the habitats where shoebills can be encountered, and their unique behaviors. Visitors can have a half-day excursion on the Mabamba wetland as they search for the elusive shoebill storks and other bird species. The beauty of Mabamba birding excursions is that you can have a single-day tour (1-day shoebill tour) and explore more about the elusive shoebills.
The shoebill excursion fees often include the service of an experienced guide, transfers, the birding expedition itself, a canoe ride, and others.
Other birds to find in the Mabamba swamp
Mabamba wetland also protects many other birds including the black-headed heron, African pygmy goose, black-winged stilt, black-crowned nightjar and African fire-finch. You can also find birds such as African green pigeon, pied wagtail, pink-backed pelicans, fish eagles, saddle-billed storks, yellow-billed ducks, grey parrots, yellow-backed weaver birds, cattle egrets, and hammerkop.
Mabamba wetland also shelters birds such as yellow-billed kite, hadada ibis, great cormorants, spur-winged lapwing, wood sandpipers, common moorhen, Marsh harriers, village weaver birds, long-tailed cormorants, double toothed barbet, and African jacanas to mention but a few.
Where to stay on your Mabamba wetland tour?
Visitors with plans to visit Mabamba Wetland for the birding tour can spend a night in the nearby hotel or guesthouse in Entebbe City. Top accommodation in and around Entebbe include Victoria Rock Resort, Skyway Hotel, K Hotels Entebbe, 2 Friends Beach Hotel, Protea Hotel Entebbe, and Best Western Premier Garden Hotel.
The best time to visit Mabamba wetland.
Mabamba is open to visitor all year round although the perfect months to get there for the birding excursion is around August to September or December, and January, to February. It is not easier to spot shoebills around the nesting season which occurs around June and July. Around the nesting season, shoebill storks tend to keep themselves deep in the wetland.
Essentials to carry for a birding tour in Mabamba Wetland
If you plan to go birding in Mabamba, some of the essentials to expect to carry include a rain jacket, bottled drinking water, comfortable clothes, sunglasses, a pair of binoculars, a good camera, a waterproof daypack, insect repellent, and many others.
Getting there
Mabamba Wetland can be reached using a motorized canoe. You can be transferred from Entebbe to Nakiwogo Landing Site to Mabamba Swamp which is about 45 minutes.