The Shoebill Stock bird in Uganda : The shoebill stork also scientifically called Balaeniceps rex is one of the best bird species in Africa and certainly one of the most challenging birds to find in Africa. The shoebill stock is a very large stork-like bird which derives its name from its enormous shoe-shaped bill. Below are some of the facts anyone should know about the shoebill stock.
Natural Habitat
The shoebill tends to inhabit in more open areas preferably particular vegetation formed by papyrus and tall grass around freshwater swamps, wetlands, lake and Rivers. The Shoebill stock is endemic to East and Central Africa and it can be found in countries of Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia and South Sudan. In Uganda where you are guaranteed to see, visitors can find them in Mabamba swamp, Along River Nile in Murchison falls national park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and Semuliki national park and some other swamps close to Lake Victoria.
Physical Appearance
The shoebill stock is also known as “whale head”. The shoebill stock is a tall bird with a height of about 4.5 feet and weighs about 7 kilograms. It is grey in colour and it has the most outstanding feature which is the shoe-shaped bill. The beak of the shoebill is curved at the tip and has very sharp edges with which the bird uses to cut through its food. The beak is almost 10 inches long, deadly and used for both feeding and protecting itself. The legs are long, slender and black in colour, with large feet. The shoebill wings can spread up to 2.5 meters and can flap about 150 times per minute. This means that when a shoebill spreads its wings, it has a bigger wingspan than Shaquille O’Neal.
Food and Diet
The Shoebill is a carnivorous bird that mainly feeds on fish and aquatic features. Shoebills prefer to feed on lungfish but supplement this other assortment like water snakes, frogs, turtles, and occasionally baby crocodiles when the young one’s parents are not around. They attack at the baby crocodile swiftly when an opportunity presents itself and with its sharp and hard beak, once the prey is captured, it cannot escape their fate. It is known for being a fierce hunter and a patient predator. The shoebill will wait out its prey especially in the shallow ends of wetlands or any floating vegetation to stake out its meal. At the right moment, it strikes promptly and deadly possibly killing its prey in one swift move. The beak is a fundamental instrument in eating. It is used to catch and kill the prey, as well as to chop off the heads of the prey for ease while swallowing.
Social Habits
Socially, the shoebill stock is a solitary and quiet animal. The male and female only come together for mating, building the nesting area and incubating the eggs. The shoebill stork can live for more than 35 years in the wild. A shoebill stork becomes sexually active at 3 to 4 years of age. The shoebill mating season is closer to the dry period than the wet period when it is safer for the nest and eggs. The female bird lays between 1 to 3 eggs and incubates then for about 30 days until they hatch. The young one is not able to stand and move on its own until 2 months, so it solely depends on the mother’s food provision until three months later when they can do feed on their own without the supervision of the parents. When hungry, the chicks make hiccup-like sounds to notify the mother that they need food. The chicks are known for being insanely competitive. They fight each other off until the weakest chick is pushed out of the nest. The bigger chicks often pick on the smaller ones especially when the mother is way, and this often drives the defeated bird to live outside of the family. Sibling rivalry is very common among these young shoebills.
The shoebill bird is a quiet bird and can go for days without making any noise or sounds apart from flapping of its wings all the time. However, when it makes a sound, it is ground shaking experience. This is most evidenced in the mating season when the male adult picks out its mate. It will make a resounding clapping-like sound attracting the female while simultaneously scaring away any competitors and other small animals. Thus the male and female bow to each other as a display of their courtship
The shoebill can fly but not for a long period of time considering it can only flap its wings to about 150 times a minute. It can only fly up to 500 metres. A shoebill spends most of the time standing, hidden and watching out for its prey. It is said that a shoebill can stand motionless for hours while holding their bills close to their necks. Such a meditative and yet cunning hunter! Shoebill storks have a tendency of defecating on themselves in order to control their body temperature and cool off when it gets a little hot.
Where to find the shoebill in Uganda
Mabamba swamp on Lake Victoria – One of the places in Uganda where you are guaranteed to see the shoebill stock birds is the Mabamba swamp on Lake Victoria and can be accessed from Entebbe about 45 minutes’ drive from Kampala city the capital of Uganda. While at the shores, you will meet a local community guide of the Mabamba swamp who will take the canoe with you on a full day or half day trip to the swamp for birdwatching on one of the landing sites on Lake Victoria. Bird watching at Mabamba is interesting as the place is less disturbed thus more favourable for birds especially the very shy Shoebill. There is also less human activity like fishing on this site thus this gives more food for the Shoebill and other fish-eating birds. It is on a rare occasion not to find the shoebill here however, if you miss out on this one while still in Entebbe, you can also find the shoebill at the Wildlife Education Centre. It is less than 40 minutes’ drive or in the same area as Mabamba swamp, there is also Makanaga Bay. It is not a popular place as Mabamba swamp but also a great place thus it gets less travellers for birding. Other places close to Lake Vaictoria include; Kyabakuza Swamp, Lutembe bay and Lwera Swamp along Masaka road.
Murchison falls national park – The Nile Delta spot in Murchison Falls National Park is also a great place to spot the shoebill stock bird. Other areas around the River Nile and Lake Albert in this park are indicated as popular sites to spot the shoebill. The best time to find the shoebill in Murchison falls national park is very early in the morning or late evening, you take a boat trip along River Nile towards the delta area. It is said that Lake Albert delta is liked by most birders because of its great opportunity to see shoebills compared to any other place in Africa. Apart from seeing the Shoebill stock, taking a Nile Delta boat cruise will reward you with sights of other bird species like the Swamp flycatcher, Giant Kingfishers, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Goliath Heron just to mention a few
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is situated in Nakasongola district about 176 kilometers from Kampala on along Kampala-Gulu Highway. The sanctuary is home to the rhinos in Uganda however, it is home to also the most sought bird in Uganda – the shoebill stock. The search of the shoebill stock in Ziwa sanctuary starts quite early at 6 am in the Lugogo swamp, the experience is provided through the canoe ride. Some of the other bird species can be spotted include the African King eagle and the Giant kingfisher and many others.
Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve near Lake Albert – While here, you can also see the shoebill stock in the shores of the Southern part of Lake Albert. This activity is arranged by the Semliki Safari Lodge. Birders love this place because not only does this place offer them with great chances of viewing the shoebill stock but also to come across other several species of birds including the Guinea-Congo forests Biome species recorded in Semuliki forest such as the Capuchin, white-tailed/Piping hornbill, blue headed, crested flycatcher, Orange Weaver, and Red-billed Malimbe. Along the western border down to Lake Albert and surrounding swamps, we find birds like the Papyrus Gonolek, Caruther’s Cisticola, African Pygmy Goose, Blue-breasted and Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters and Blue-headed Coucal, and schools of hippos among others.
Conclusion therefore, the shoebill is a very interesting bird in that when you see it especially when they wait for their prey, then snatch it from the water, you will be enthralled even more. This is a fascinating experience that can also be enjoyed by on only the bird lovers but also any other traveller on a Uganda Safari tour.
