Mabamba Swamp for Shoebill Stork on Lake Victoria’s shoreline

The Mabamba wetland is a Ramsar site in Kasenje town council, Entebbe, Uganda, located in Mabamba Bay, near to Lake Victoria. Mabamba Bay is a Ramsar site and an “Important Bird Area” because of its ecological importance in the conservation of the Shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex).

The Mabamba Ramsar Site spans 2,424 hectares and is maintained by Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment’s Wetlands Management Department.

The Mabamba wetland is a major tourist attraction for people hoping to see the iconic shoebill stork. Aside from Shoebill trekking, other opportunities in Mabamba Bay include boat cruises, village walks, bird observation, and cultural experiences.

Birding around the Mabamba swamp

Even before entering the swamp, the Mabamba landing spot and parking area welcome you with some excellent birding. The tall trees, bushes, and thickets are home to a variety of birds that may surprise you with a lifer or a rare sighting. So, before beginning the boat excursion to investigate the water channels of the Mabamba wetland, you may spend a few minutes or an hour examining the habitats.

The stunning Superb Sunbird has been a frequent sighting here, typically spotted in short trees and bushes eating insects from tree branches before colliding with an aggressive Red-chested Sunbird (Lake Victoria biome endemic) that is everywhere.

Some of the bird species at mabamba include African Fish Eagle, Purple Swamphe, African Green Pigeon, African Jacana, African Marsh Harrier, African Pigmy Goose, Black Crake, Black Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-headed Heron, Black-winged Stilt, Blue Swallow, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Blue Swallow, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Blue Swallow, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Blue Swallow Cattle Egret, Common Moorhen, Common Sandpiper, Common Sqacco Heron, Glossy Ibis, Goliath Heron, Great Cormorant, Great White Egret, Great White Pelican, Green Cuckoo, Grey Heron, Grey-crowned Crane Hadada Ibis, Gull-billed Tern, Harmerkop, Little Egret, Little Stilt Long-tailed Cormorant, Long-toed Lapwing, Malachite Kingfisher, Marsh Harrier, Northern Brown-throated Weather, Orange Weaver, Papyrus Gonolek, Pied Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail, Pink-backed Pelican, Pin-tailed Whyda, Purple Heron, Red-eyed Dove, Red-headed Love-bird, Shining Blue Kingfisher, Speckled Mousebird, Spur-winged Goose, Spur-winged Lapwing, Swamp Flycatcher, Veilots’ Black Weaver, Village Weaver, Water Thicknee, White-browed Cuckoo, White-faced Whistling Duck.