1 Day Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Tour

1-day-mabamba-swamp-shoebill-tour 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Tour is a short but rewarding birding trip taking you to the famous Mabamba Swamp to see the rare and prehistoric-looking Shoebill Stork in its natural habitat. This Uganda birding safari is perfect for travelers with limited time who still want a unique birding experience close to Kampala or Entebbe. Request a Quote

Mabamba Wetlands were designated as a Ramsar Site as of international importance in 2006 being home to the rare and globally threatened Shoe billed stork. Today, the Mabamba Shoebill wetland is one of the most popular birding hotspots in Uganda.

A part from being a great habitat for many different bird species, Mabamba swamp holds bragging rights for a home to the most rare and sought for birds in the world, the Shoe bill. Such a birding safari in Uganda will give you an opportunity for a closest encounter with it.

List of Bird Species to spot at Mabamba Swamp

Shoebill Stork
Long Tailed Cormorant
African Fish Eagle
African Jacana
Marsch Sand Piper
Yellow Billed Duck
Common Sand Piper
Wood sand Piper
Purple Heron
Common Moorhen
Common Squacco Heron
Black Headed Heron
White Winged Black tern
Northern Brown Throated Weaver bird
Black Headed Weaver bird
Grey Headed Kingfisher
Yellow Backed Weaver bird
Vieilliots Black Weave bird
Pied kingfisher
Malachite Kingfisher
Purple Swamphen
Carruther’s Cisticola
Winding Cisticola
Swamp Fly Catcher
Blue Breasted Bee-eater
Long Toed lapwing
African Marsh harrier
Papyrus Gonolek

Full Itinerary for 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Tour

You will be picked up by one of the guides to begin your journey to Mabamba Swamp found about 50 kilometers southwest of Kampala and north of Entebbe town. The site is the most accessible for spotting the wild species of Shoebill Stork in Uganda and probably Africa at large.

While on this tour, you will glide across the calm waters of the wetland in a traditional canoe, passing through thick papyrus and floating vegetation in Mabamba Bay. One of the greatest highlights of this pristine swamp is the excellent chance of spotting the rare Shoebill in its natural habitat. You will also encounter other fascinating wetland birds such as the Saddle-billed Stork, Malachite Kingfisher, African Jacana, and many more species that thrive in the papyrus ecosystem.

The tour will indeed be an experience you will never forget. Sail across one of Uganda’s largest swamps and let the magical beauty of Mabamba surround you as nature comes alive with the cheerful songs of wetland birds.

Best time to see the Shoebill at Mabmba Wetland

The best time to see the Shoebill is early in the morning between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM, when the bird is most active while hunting for fish. Also the evening as it plans to hunt for the last meal of the day.