On this One-day birding you will explore the vast wetland at Mabamba extending some 100km2 from the shallow marshy bay on the northern shores of Lake Victoria for the iconic Shoebill and other wetland species. Continuing to Mpanga forest near Mpigi town, we bird for forest proper specialists in this patch of tropical rainforest.
Birding for Shoebill at Mabamba
At Mabamba wetlands, the 2-more hours’ birding activity is carried out in motorized local canoes to give access to the wetland interior through a maze of papyrus edged water channels. The low-oxygenated waters of this marsh are stocked with mud fish, catfish and several fish species that are favorite prey for the Shoebill.
Congregations include flocks of Gull billed Terns, White-winged Black Tern, Whiskered Tern, Ruff and several Sandpipers including resident Grey-headed Gulls, Little Stint, Yellow Wagtail, Eurasian Marsh Harriers and Osprey occur seasonally while African Marsh Harrier, African Fish Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture are resident raptors.
Other papyrus species highlights include Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Black-crowned Night Heron, Straited Heron, Pygmy and Spur-winged Geese, White-faced Whistling Ducks, Black Stilt, Purple, Reed Cormorant, Papyrus Gonolek, and Purple and Grey Heron, Malachite kingfisher, Lesser reed Warbler, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Malachite Kingfisher, Black crake, Lesser and African Jacana, Pied Kingfisher, Caruthers’s and Winding Cisticola and many others.
Mpanga Forest Birding
After a hot lunch overlooking the Mabamba marsh, we head out to the 45km2 Mpanga Forest a mid-altitude rain forest hosting some 180 bird species and several primates. Highlight species to look out for include African Pied, Crowned and Black and White Casqued hornbill, Toro Olive and Spotted Greenbul, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Western Black-headed Oriole, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, Shikra, Weyn’s Weaver, Common Waxbill, Red-chested Cuckoo, Fraser’s Flycatcher Thrush, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Green Hylia, Green Crombec, Grey Throated and Yellow-spotted Barbets, Yellow-ramped Tinkerbird, Black-necked and Grosbeak Weavers and several primates.
The tour includes
- Transport with a Bird Guide/Driver
- Drinking water
- Community fees and entrance fees
- Lunch
Excluded
- Tips to guides and driver.
- Other drinks and meals not mentioned.