Mabamba Wetland - Birding safari guide.

This large accessible wetland near the village of Mabamba on the shores of Lake Victoria is only a short drive from Kampala.
Take the road towards Masaka from the Natete round about in Kampala and turn left after 29.1km onto a dirt road at the signs “Bayuge parish and St henry’s Bayuge”.

After 47km the road passes a large papyrus Gonolek are common. Continue straight on at the round about 11.6km from the main road and branch right at the junction after a further 3.7km. 10km along this track (which may become impassable after rain) you reach a landing stage where you can hire a dugout canoe or a small boat (ca. $4 for a 2-3 hour trip) to take you out.

A local villager, Kasasa Honington , knows the best sports for birding and can act as a guide . The immense papyrus swamp is interspersed with a maze of channels , lagoons and floating lily pads . A part from certain papyrus specialists such as Carruthers’ Cisticola and white- winged warbler, watch out for saddle- billed stork, African Pygmy Goose and lesser Jacana. Other distinct possibilities include common squacco, purple and Goliath Herons, yellow billed Egret, White faced Whistling Duck, yellow billed duck, Hottentot teal, African fish eagle, black Crake, African Jacana, Long –toed Plover, Grey headed Gull, Gull-billed and white winged Terns, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Blue- breasted Bee- eater, cape Wagtail, Swamp Flightier, Winding Cisticola, Red Chested Sunbird and fan- tailed Widow bird. The magnificent shoe bill has been reported from this area and African Skimmers are also rare visitors to this part of Uganda.

From the landing stage you can take an alternative parallel road (4WD) that loops out westwards and re –connects with the main road after a few kilometres. Keep an eye out for scaly Francolin Senegal Plover, Madagascar Bee-eater, Grey and endangered Blue Swallow and Plain – backed Pipit. The rare and endangered Blue Swallow is also Know from Wetlands and Moist grassland around Lake Victoria.

Please note that on your birding trip, you may need birding binoculars, an othinology book for better indentification of Uganda birds. We also encourage you to participate in efforts that encourage avian conservation of Uganda tourism.