Quest for the Shoebill

Last updated: January 14, 2025

Written by: Melissa Kirby

Uganda | Adventure | Expert experience | Wildlife

If you’re after a truly rare and magical birding experience, then searching for the Shoebill on Lake Victoria is the perfect way to spend your morning in Entebbe before heading off to explore. Lake Victoria itself is a wonder—Africa’s second-largest freshwater lake, stretching across Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. The Mbamba Swamp which is now a protected wetland, provides sanctuary to an array of birdlife but most notably the Jurassic Shoebill, known as Bulwe.

Our day begins bright and early at 7.30 am after a hearty breakfast at Karibu Guest Lodge. Setting off from the property, it takes a quick ten minutes in the Land Cruiser to the dock, through the village, already bustling with life. We then jumped into our motorboat, which takes just 20 minutes across the lake’s gentle waters, all the while watching kingfishers dancing ahead of us, darting into the waters for their breakfast. After a seamless switch over from motorboat to more traditional wooden boat (reminiscent of traditional Mokoros in Botswana) we’re soon winding through the narrow, man made channels, skimming past the dense papyrus that lines the lake’s edge. This papyrus acts as a natural fortress, offering the elusive Shoebill a safe retreat from both humans and its natural predators when they’re young , the African fish eagle and pythons.

Shoebills are true loners; in this vast area of around 16,000 hectares, there are currently only 12 of these birds, which sadly before conservation became a focus, were hunted by fisherman. They breed sparingly, only laying two eggs every five years with only one usually surviving, and the chicks stay with the parents for nearly three years, forming a close family unit while the baby learns the ways of the waters. Seeing one, therefore, is like striking gold in the birdwatching world.

June and July are peak months in Uganda, and during this time you can expect the lake to be busy with as many as twenty boats when a sighting is made of this rare species. In March, though, you’ll find fewer boats, and with a bit of luck, you could have the shoebill practically to yourself, even just for a short period of time.

To witness a Shoebill in the wild, resting with its massive wings folded over its head like some prehistoric guardian (they do this to sleep) is nothing short of spellbinding. It’s one of those moments where time seems to stand still, right here in the heart of Lake Victoria.