Balaeniceps rex

The Shoebill is the national bird of Uganda. Because it's relatively easy to see this species here, most birdwatchers visiting the country are eager to get views of it, since it can be very elusive in most of the other African countries where it occurs.
A particularly good site is the Mabamba swamp, close to the national airport at Entebbe. Most birders go to Murchison Falls NP to see it, but it has become a bit more difficult to see it here: at times, the boat trip towards the falls will not produce any Shoebills. Our group saw Shoebills at several occasions, both in Mabamba (at least 5 different birds) and in Murchison Falls (1 or 2), though we did miss it on the actual boat trip.
The birds tend to stand motionless somewhere at the edge of the papyrus swamps where they occur, but may take off later in the morning. They can then be seen circling over the swamp like large, oddly long-legged vultures. Therefore, if you're a little late, you may fail to find any perched birds.
The last two pictures shown here were taken by filming through my Leica 8×32 bins, resulting in a magnification factor of 80! I can guarantee you it is difficult to get good shots, when filming from a quite unstable canoe filled with birders balancing to get good views of this stunning bird!

Copyright ©Teus Luijendijk 2001