Birds to See in Mabamba Swamp

Birds to See in Mabamba Swamp, it is a top birdwatching spot in Uganda, located about 12 km west of Entebbe town on the shores of Lake Victoria. Due to its rich biodiversity, the swamp has drawn birdwatchers and other nature enthusiasts to come and explore this unique Ramsar Site that got its status in 2006 as a Wetland of International Importance by the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands due to its vital ecological importance with globally threatened species.

Apart from the famous Shoebill, it is home to several bird species, including raptors, migrants, rarities, seasonal vagrants, and water-dwelling birds. These intriguing birds attract several travelers, including birdwatchers, nature lovers, and researchers, to come and witness the beauty of these feathered wonders.

Birds to See in Mabamba Swamp

Northern Brown-throated Weaver
Grey Wood Pecker
Grey Crowned Crane
Rufous-naped Lark
Wood Sandpiper
Purple Swamp Hen
Rufous-bellied Herons
Osprey
Ashy Flycatcher
Pallid Harrier
Papyrus Gonolek
Pink-tailed Whydah
Red-billed Firefinch
Black-crowned Night Heron
Pink-backed Pelican
Pied Wagtail
Cormorants
White-winged Tern
Grey Parrot
Palm-nut vulture
Eurasian Hobby
Glossy Ibis
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow Wagtail
Black-headed Heron
Intermediate Egret
Angola Swallow
Yellow-billed Kite
Common Squacco Heron
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Brown Parrot
Black-crowned Waxbill
Flappet Lark
African Green Pigeon
Cattle Egret
Long-crested Eagle
Yellow-billed Duck
Red-shouldered Cuckoo Shrike
Grey Wagtail, African Pygmy Goose
Grey Heron, Slender-billed Gull
Green Cuckoo, Sand Martin
Crowned Hornbill, Ross’s Turaco
Northern Brown-throated Weaver
Grey Wood Pecker
Grey Crowned Crane, Rufous-naped Lark
Wood Sandpiper
Purple Swamp Hen
Rufous-bellied Heron
Osprey
Ashy Flycatcher
Pallid Harrier
Papyrus Gonolek
Pink-tailed Whydah
Red-billed Firefinch
Black-crowned Night Heron
Pink-backed Pelican, Pied Wagtail
Cormorants
White-winged Tern
Grey Parrot
Palm-nut vulture
Eurasian Hobby
Glossy Ibis
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow Wagtail
Black-headed Heron
Intermediate Egret
Angola Swallows
Yellow-billed Kite
Common Squacco Heron
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Brown Parrot
Black-crowned Waxbill
Flapped Lark
African Green Pigeon
Cattle Egret
Bird Species Lists
Great Blue Turaco
Little Egret
Ruppell’s Long-tailed Sterling
Common Bulbul
White-shouldered Tit
African Hoopoe
Yellow-backed Weaver
Black-headed Gonolek
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
African Common Moorhen
Banded Martin
White-faced Whistling Duck
Olivaceous Warbler
Grey-headed Sparrow
Black-winged Stilt
Papyrus Yellow Warbler
Pied Kingfishers
African Pied Wagtail
Yellow-billed Stork
Common Waxbill
Spur-winged Lapwing
White-throated Bee-eater
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Common Greenshank
Common Sandpiper
Black-faced Rufous Warbler
Fulvous Whistling Duck
Yellow Warbler
Double-toothed Barbet
Brown Snake Eagle
Common Moorhens
Grosbeak Weaver
Gull-billed Terns
Lesser Jacana
Hamerkop
Levaillant’s Cuckoo
Tawny Eagle
Little Bee-eater
Long-toed Lapwing Plover
Little Stilt
Speckled Mousebird
Tambourine Dove
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Vieillot’s Black Weaver
Whinchat
Violet-backed Sterling
Water Thicknee
Weyn’s Weaver
Whiskered Terns
White-browed Cuckoo
Bird Species List
Black-headed Woodland Kingfisher
Malachite Kingfisher
Orange Weaver
Papyrus Canary
Long-toed Lapwing
African Fish Eagle
African Water Rail
Blue Swallow
White-winged Warbler
Fork-tailed Drongo
Great Cormorant
Saddle-billed Stork
Mosque Swallow
Red-eyed Dove
African Purple
Great White Egret
Village Weaver
Swamp Flycatcher
African Firefinch
Black Crake
Hadada Ibis
Black-headed Weaver
Blue-headed Cuckoo
Striped Kingfisher
Spur-winged Geese
Feral Pigeon
Grey-headed Kingfisher
Carruthers’s Cisticola
Goliath Heron
Eastern Grey Plantain-eater
Grey-rumped Sparrow
Red-headed Lovebird
African Jacana
Common Stonechat
White-browed Cuckoo
Grassland Pipit
Long-tailed Cormorant
Purple Heron
Shining Blue Kingfisher
Red-chested Cuckoo
Marsh Harrier
Great White Pelican
Slender-billed Weaver
Swamp-hen
Winding Cisticola, among others.

Shoebill Conservation- Birds to See in Mabamba Swamp

This remarkable swamp got its name after the lungfish species that commonly inhabits its waters, forming the staple food for shoebills’ diet. This lungfish is locally called “Mamba,” hence the name “Mabamba.” This word “mamba” is a totem and one of the most significant clans in the Buganda Kingdom. Since the local fishermen also depend on lungfish as part of their diet, they used to kill these shoebill “Bulwe” in the local language and destroy their nests as well.

Later, the International Union for Conservation of Nature formulated a partnership between the fishing communities about the shoebill and the wetland. Finally. The conservation project empowered local communities to earn a living through providing birding tours for the travellers. Additionally, due to serious sensitization of the community about the ecological and economic value of this iconic bird, they came up with an ecotourism project to manage and protect this swamp, enhancing responsible tourism.

Accommodation

Entebbe town, which is adjacent to Mabamba Swamp, offers unique accommodation options to travelers who would wish to spend a night or even more during their wildlife and birding tours. These accommodation facilities range from high-end to mid-range and affordable options, such as Protea Hotel, Papyrus Guest House, 2 Friends Beach Hotel, Best Western Premier Hotel, Jet Villas, Boma Hotel, Rock Resort Hotel, and others.

Conclusion

The swamp emerges as Uganda’s most valuable and an important birding wetland site and home to over 300 species of birds. More still, the swamp is Uganda’s top location for birdwatchers and adventure seekers with a passion to see the most intriguing and mysterious shoebill. This rare bird species was classified by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a vulnerable species; hence, the need for restoration and preservation of this wetland of immense ecological importance.

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