Where to see shoebill storks in Africa
Where to see shoebill storks in Africa: Shoebill storks are among the intriguing bird species that many bird watchers seek in Africa, uganda is premier birding destination to see shoebill storks in Africa. Uganda hosts over 1,057 bird species, rendering it an exceptional bird watching destination and a favored site for shoebill stork photography in Africa. Uganda has 50% of Africa’s bird species and 11% of the global bird species total, establishing it as the premier birding destination in East Africa, Africa, and the world due to its extensive diversity of bird species, including a significant number of endemics.
Shoebill storks are a distinctive and endangered bird species in Africa, drawing photographers, ornithologists, filmmakers, and production companies throughout each year. Uganda serves as a bastion for shoebill storks in East Africa, predominantly flourishing in diverse environments such as lakes, rivers, and swamps. In addition to shoebill storks, Uganda is home to many species of storks, including open-billed storks, saddle-billed storks, yellow-billed storks, and marabou storks, which filmmakers can feature during bird photography and filming safaris in Uganda, known as The Pearl of Africa.
Where can one photograph, film, and observe shoebill storks in Africa ( Uganda)
Uganda Wildlife Education Centre
The Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC), situated near Entebbe, has a diverse array of wildlife and avian species that are either endemic or on the brink of extinction, including shoebill storks. This renders it an optimal location for capturing images and video of the rare shoebill storks in Uganda. The distance from Entebbe Airport to UWEC is a 15-minute drive, rendering it one of the most accessible spots for photographing and filming shoebills. Furthermore, filmmakers or companies may also capture diverse wildlife, and it is essential to have media accreditation, among other requirements.
Makanaga Swamp Bay
Makanaga Swamp Bay is a recently identified location for the elusive shoebill stork, situated on Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake, which hosts a notable population of shoebill storks in Uganda. The swamp bay can be accessed from Kampala or Entebbe via a canoe or boat ride, or by driving along the Kampala-Masaka highway. From Entebbe or Kampala, one can divert at Kamengo in Mpingi, which requires over one hour to one and a half hours of travel, depending on traffic conditions. Upon arrival at the swamp, a canoe is necessary to navigate the area. It provides exceptional views of the shoebill stork, along with a diverse array of other aquatic bird species that are worthy of recording and photographing. The Shoebill journey to Makanaga Swamp commences in the early morning aboard a vessel accompanied by a knowledgeable guide.
Murchison Falls National Park
The largest national park in Uganda is inhabited by a substantial population of big game, as well as a considerable number of shoebill storks and over 450 species of birds, including both aquatic and savanna avifauna. The majority of shoebills in Murchison Falls National Park inhabit the Albert Delta, with magnificent views available from January to March.
Murchison Falls National Park hosts 450 bird species, making it an excellent choice for photographing and recording the shoebill, while also providing opportunities to observe several other avian species. The park safeguards various notable avian species, including Abyssinian ground hornbills, red-throated bee-eaters, papyrus gonoleks, grey crowned cranes, giant kingfishers, northern red bishops, swamp flycatchers, squacco herons, goliath herons, secretary birds, African fish eagles, African pied kingfishers, and malachite kingfishers.
In addition to avifauna, the 3840 square kilometer national park harbors diverse wildlife, including solitary Cape buffaloes, African elephants, Nile crocodiles, leopards, lions, warthogs, Rothschild giraffes, hippopotamuses, and primates such as chimpanzees, blue monkeys, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, colobus monkeys, among others.
Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park, located in the extreme western region of Uganda, harbors approximately 442 avian species and is widely regarded as a genuine paradise for birdwatchers, particularly for shoebill storks, establishing it as a premier location for shoebill birding in the Pearl of Africa. While photographing and filming shoebills in Semuliki National Park, filmmakers or production companies have the opportunity to capture various other avian species, including the piping hornbill, swamp palm bulbul, black dwarf hornbill, great black casqued wattled hornbill, Ross’s turaco, red-billed dwarf, and African piculet.
Additionally, there exists a variety of avian species like leaf lovebirds, white-throated blue swallows, Bates’s nightjars, white-tailed robin chats, Sabine’s spine tails, piping hornbills, white-crested hornbills, blue-billed malimbe’s, red-thighed sparrowhawks, yellow-throated nicator, among others.
Mabamba Wetlands
Mabamba is one of the premier locations in Uganda for photographing and filming the shoebill stork. The expansive marsh is situated on Lake Victoria and can be reached from Entebbe via a canoe voyage. The shoebill storks are the focal point of your filming expedition at Mabamba Swamp Wetland, utilizing your birding equipment. There are 320 bird species residing at Mabamba Wetlands, including 7 vulnerable species and 12 species limited to the Lake Victoria ecosystem.
While filming on safari at Mabamba Wetlands, additional avian species to capture, apart from shoebills, encompass pied kingfishers, black-billed turacos, dusky long-tailed cuckoos, hairy-breasted barbets, black-headed herons, African open-billed storks, malachite kingfishers, grey parrots, papyrus gonoleks, swamp flycatchers, among others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned not just for its tree-climbing lions but also for its elusive shoebill storks and a diverse array of bird species, totaling over 600. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s second-largest park, making it an optimal location for shoebill filming. The park also hosts and allows filming of various unique birds, including swamp flycatchers, grey-headed kingfishers, white-winged terns, pied kingfishers, slender-tailed nightjars, African skimmers, black-headed gonolek’s, and Verreaux’s eagle owl, among others.
Lake Mburo National Park
Located in western Uganda, Lake Mburo National Park is notably one of the premier locations for shoebill photography. The park is home to 351 bird species, including shoebill storks, emerald-spotted wood doves, trilling cisticolas, red-necked spurfowls, bronze-tailed starlings, Nubian woodpeckers, among others.
What is the best time to for seeing, photographing, and filming shoebills in Uganda
Filming and photographing shoebills in Uganda is permitted year-round, however the optimal period is during the wet season. This is the period when several migratory bird species can be observed, coinciding with the mating season for the majority of avian species. The rainy season occurs from March to May and from October to November. Nonetheless, there exists a significant likelihood of undertaking a shoebill safari during the dry season, specifically from June to September and December to February.
