Mabamba Bay wetland on Lake Victoria.

Mabamba bay wetland is an extensive marsh stretching through along narrow bay, fringed with papyrus towards the western main body of Lake Victoria-the world’s second largest fresh water lake in Uganda’s Mpigi district.

Mabamba bay wetland is one of the wetlands of international importance noted as an Important Birding Area (IBA) and one of the best marshy areas for Uganda birding safaris.

The wetland is home to recorded species of 260 birds with a population of globally threatened species and Lake Victoria basin biome species.

The greater advantage of this birding spot is that it’s the closest birding place to Kampala-Uganda’s capital therefore all kinds of accommodation are guaranteed and one can tailor their safari for a Kampala city tour.

Mabamba wetland is the only other place and site so far rated as the best in Africa where the elusive shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) can be spotted at any one time of the day on top of Murchison Falls National Park.

The shoebill is a shy native of the East African Marshes that has survived evolution from 20million years ago.

It feeds primarily on Lungfish and are always sighted by tourists on birding tours in Uganda moving in pairs and threes.

Currently Mabamba wetland has become one of the strong holds of about 38% of the migrant population of the Blue Swallow with over 100 individuals recorded every year.

Other species of regional importance sighted during birding Uganda tours include the Pallid Harrier, Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler and the Blue Swallow.

Other species recorded of recent include migrants like the Gull-Billed Terns, White-Winged Black Terns and Whiskered Terns.

The Goliath Herons, Malachite Kingfisher, papyrus canary, Spur winged and pygmy Geese, Northern Brown-throated weaver, Carruthers Cisticola, Pied King fisher, black headed heron, black kite, African Open-billed stork, Africana Jacana, winding Cisticola, Veillot’s black weaver, grosbeak weaver, black-headed weaver and African Marsh harrier are more of the bird species in the wetland. In the wetland, the resident birds include the Grey -Headed Gulls.

Passionate birders who would like to maximize their opportunities of watching more birds during their Uganda tour can do bird watching through the woodland and savanna trail up to the sand mining quarry.

Birding is one of those activities that are really relaxing, safari Uganda and encounter the singing, whistling, rare and multi colored feather birds.