Murchison Falls NP - Wildlife Safari in Uganda.Add at least one of the shoebill habitats to your itinerary as you plan your Uganda safari. These birds are quite magnificent and worth a visit to the places named above. They are sometimes hunted by fishermen who have superstitions about their presence on the lake. The total population of shoebill storks in Uganda today is about 1000 birds. Shoebills can be seen in several places such as In the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth Park along the Lake Edward Flats, in Murchison Falls national Park where the Nile merges with Lake Albert, Lake Mburo National Park, Ziwa Rhino Reserve, Lake Kyoga, Semiliki Wildlife reserve, the Mabamba Swamp close to Entebbe and in the Nabajuzi Swamp in Masaka They usually seem sluggish on the ground, but are graceful in the air and when attacking their prey they pull back their wings and approach their prey in a way demonstrating their strength. When in flight they have a wide wing span and their heads and necks retract. They are normally silent birds but can perform bill clattering displays at their nests. They are mostly solitary birds and have territories of which they can be quite protective. Although they are primarily water birds, they do not have webbed feet, but can still stealthily stalk their prey in the water. All of this is possible because of the sharp edges of the wide bill. The Shoebill stork, a swamp specialist, survives on a diet of mainly of lung fish which supplemented by frogs, puddle fish, the occasional baby crocodile and water snakes. Their main diet is lungfish, which can be supplemented. The shoebills are found lake or swamp so they find their food in the water. The new chicks are fed by the parent birds for several months until they are old enough to forage for their own food. Both parents participate in the incubation period which lasts a month. The parent birds make a nest on the ground, and the female usually lays two eggs. It interestingly forms monogamous relationships during the mating season which falls between April and June. The shoebill is a solitary bird with has a lifespan of about 50 or more years. The Arabs used to call the Shoebill Stork –“Abu Maruk” meaning father of the shoe – one could call the Shoebill Stork a flying shoe because of the unique bill. It’s usually about 150cm tall and can weigh up to 14 pounds. The Shoebill Stork has outstanding prehistoric looks. There are a few interesting facts about this bird that make it an interesting species worth seeing on safari.
What is so interesting about the shoebill? This is one of the most sought after birds in Africa and is quite the sight if you mange to see it on your Uganda safari. But can also be seen in Kenya, the Central African Republic, northern Cameroon, south-western Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana and the upper Congo River. The shoebill or shoe billed stork or whalehead is large bird mostly found in the lakes in the eastern part of Africa. The rare and elusive shoebill is one of the birding sights in Uganda. Uganda is home to a variety of birds and wildlife- Gorillas, chimpanzees, tree climbing lions, monkeys of different kinds, leopards, impalas, the crested crane and so many more.
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