Mabamba Swamp - Uganda

Mabamba Bay, also known as Mabamba Swamp, is a 5,990 acre wetland on the edge of Lake Victoria, northwest of Entebbe in Uganda. It is near Kasanje, a small village. It has over 300 birds species and is one of 33 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Uganda and a Ramsar site, which is a wetland of international importance. It has open water and a large open marsh of miscanthus and papyrus that make the swamp rich in species. It is well known as a major breeding site for the shoebill and has one of the highest concentrations of shoebills in the world, about 12 of them. It is rich with lungfish (known as "mamba" in the native language) which is the favorite food of the shoebill. The shoebill is one of the most sought after birds by birdwatchers in Uganda. We went out into the swamp on July 19, 2025 in a motorized wooden boat through a maze of water trails which cut through the thick marsh. One person was at the back of the boat with the motor, steering, and Wilson, our excellent bird guide was near the front. 

Fortunately, we were able to see a shoebill, rated Vulnerable by the IUCN, which stayed pretty still for most of the time we watched it. 

The Africa jacana. I'd seen one previously in Botswana, but saw many here. It is a gorgeous bird. 

We saw one or two African swamp hens.  

We saw several hadada ibis. I'd seen one previously near Buffalo Springs NR in Kenya and one in the Kansas City Zoo last year. One was caked in mud and looked like a drowned rat. This photo was after it was able to shake off much of the water and mud. 

A little egret. 

One of my favorite sightings was the long-toed lapwing, a beautiful bird. We saw quite a few of them. 

We saw a few malachite kingfishers, which are incredibly colorful. 

The palm-nut vulture, was standing on the high point on a little island. I'd never heard of a whitish vulture before. 

The pied kingfisher was common, often perching in large groups on the same bush or tree. 

We saw several purple herons which we learned are Wilson's favorite bird. 

The reed cormorant, or long-tailed cormorant.  

The squacco heron.  

The western cattle egret, a bird I'm familiar with in California.  

Another favorite was the white-faced whistling duck. They are beautiful. 

A woodland kingfisher. We stayed a couple of nights at the Nkima Forest Lodge which is at the top of the hill above the Mabamba Swamp. My next destination post will be on the Nkima Forest, between Mabamba Swamp and the Lodge. This kingfisher was in a tree right near the water so I'm including it in this post. 

I got a horrible photo of a yellow-billed duck. I had a couple of people in front of me and it flew before I could get a better photo. 

A yellow-billed egret, which looks a lot like the great egret we have in the U.S.  

A blue coucal. I'd seen the white-browed coucal previously and saw several more of them on this trip, but this was the only blue coucal I've seen. I really enjoy the coucals.

There were also several other birds I was not able to photograph, including the African marsh harrier and the swamp flycatcher. 

We got off to a late start and spent quite a bit of time watching the shoebill which I which we'd abbreviated as the birding was so wonderful. I would love to go back and spend more time on the marsh.