Excursion

SHEO BILL STORK

It is known as Whale-headed stork, sheo billed stork and long legged bird. Its name comes from the enormous shoe shaped bill and stork like overall form. It  lives in tropical East Africa in large swamps.

Features of sheo bill stork

The signature feature of the species is its huge, bulbous beak, which is pinkish in color with erratic greyish markings.

The shoe bill are statue like because of their slow movements and tendency to stay in one place for long time.

The shoebill often stands and perches on floating vegetation.It is solitary bird and hunts using vision. It is one of the most five  desirable birds by birdwatchers in Africa.

Bird life international has classified the Sheo bill stork as vulnerable with the main threats being habitat destruction, disturbance and hunting due to cultural values.

Best places for shoe bill   stork sighting in Uganda

Mabamba swamp lake victoria entebbe What is Shoe bill stork

Queen Elizabeth national park Ishasha sector

Murchison falls national park delta

Ziwa rhino sanctuary

Toro semliki wilife reserve

Uganda wildlife education centre

Lake Mburo national park

Lwera swamp along masaka kampala road.

SHOE BILLED STORK   EXCURSION   AT MABAMBA SWAMP ON LAKE VICTORIA

Mabamba bay wetland is about 16,500ha on the shores of Lake Victoria. It is located on the shores contains open water with a large open marsh of miscanthus and papyrus that make the swamp rich in species, particularly the in birds including the globally threatened shoe bill stork, large congregation of migrants such as Blue Swallow, and papyrus endemic birds such as Papyrus gonolek and the Papyrus Yellow Warbler. Mabamba Bay is a major breeding site for the shoe bill and is one of the places in Uganda with the highest concentration of this species, with over 10 birds being recorded in one day over a relatively small area.

Also referred to as the King Whale head because of its enormous head size

The adventure will begin by pick up from your hotel and briefing by the driver guide and transfer by car to Kasanje landing site or by boat from Entebbe Nakiwogo to Mabamba swamp. If by road, upon reaching Kasanje, you will jump into the canoe powered by the motor engine and start the search for the shoe bill.  During the search you will sight many water bird species and the beautiful swamp this is a must for one who loves nature or interested in birding. The local guides have clues of where to find the shoe bill stork. Upon sighting the shoe bill, you will spend time observing it and taking traditional pictures and later return to the starting point and hit the road back to your drop off point.