Mabamba Swamp is the natural habitat for the elusive Shoebill Storks in Africa Bird watching is mostly via canoe, where you will navigate waterways comprising lily pads and papyrus swamp.
It takes about 1hour to drive on dirt roads from Entebbe to Mabamba Swamp, Mabamba Swamp is an extensive marsh stretching through a long narrow bay, fringed with papyrus towards the western main body of Lake Victoria. You will then access the swamp in local fishing boat / Canoe with a local guide
We highly recommend the boat tour across Lake Victoria. Reaching Mabamba by boat, rather than by car, gives you an opportunity to see many of the birds that you may otherwise miss. Sometimes even the shoebill may elude you in the canoes only to be seen as you approach, or leave, by the bigger boat.
The best time to visit is late morning hours and afternoon. Pack a nice lunch if you are going for the day, a pair of binoculars, hat, sun protection, insect repellant, light rain jacket, a backpack for all your items and long-sleeved shirt and trousers.
Other birds are Swamp flycatcher, African purple swamp hen, African water rail, Pallid Harrier, Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler and the Blue Swallow Common moorhen, lesser jacana, African jacana, African pygym Goose, White-faced whistling duck, Squacco heron, Blue Breasted Bee-eater, Winding cisticola, Goliath Heron and many others.
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2 Comment
Ddamba Brian, 2022-04-02 at 8:30 AM
Am alocal guide within mabamba and today we have seen four (4) shoebills and other birds it has been great plessure for my clients lets love more of nature ( brian +256703742024 ) thx
Jenny L, Huddersfield, 2016-11-05 at 5:41 PM
Three of us enjoyed a great boat tour to see the Mabamba swamp. It began with a walk through a local market, full of activity and then a ride across Lake Victoria by boat. We changed for a smaller boat to navigate through the canals of the swamp and were rewarded with a superb close up of two shoebill storks. One caught a fish and then flew off to our gasps.The guide was excellent, the boat people very helpful and concerned for our safety and comfort. It was all ran perfectly smoothly and we had made our booking only the night before. Strongly recommended as a value for money must do experience.