Shoebill stork is the most stunning, magnificent, unique bird species that has got the mist great birding sighting in Uganda, the shoebill or at times it’s called the shoe billed stork also the whale head is a large bird and too attractive that is most sighted from Uganda, it is so vital to do a birding safari in Uganda in order to spot the wonderful shoebill stork, not only in Uganda the bird species exceeds to other countries like Keya, central republic, south-western Ethiopia, Malawi, Botswana, River Congo. This bird specie is the most sought bird species and it is largely sighted on a Uganda safari.
Where to spot a shoebill stork in Uganda.
On a birding safari in Uganda the shoebill stork mostly can be found in the several parts of the country including Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park along the lake Edward flats, in Murchison falls National Park exactly where the Nile joins with Lake Albert, Lake Mburo National Park, Ziwa Rhino Reserve, Lake Kyoga, Semiliki Wildlife reserve, Mamba swamp, Nabajuzi swamp in Masaka and among others, these are the major safari areas in the country where you can spot the shoebill stork in Uganda.
Shoebill storks have accumulated in Uganda and of currently the bird species are exceeding 1000 birds in total, like any other bird, or animal species as got the predators, the shoebill storks have got the predators mostly the humans especially the fishermen who have superstitions about the information and knowledge about the lake. These bird species are such attractive to the vast number of the tourists especially the bird lovers who come to the country and the mentioned above places makes your itinerary the best as you do a Uganda safari.
Diet of the shoe bill stork.
A shoebill stork relating its habitat mostly in the lake areas, swamps so that tells that the bird specie finds its food in the water that is the shoebill stork feeds on the lung fish, majorly added on by the puddle fish, frogs at times the baby crocodile, water snakes and among others and these can be best trapped using the sharp edges of the wide bill that makes it to grab its food.
Interesting facts.
A shoe bill stork has got the most interesting facts that makes it to be the most liked and attractive bird species in the entire country, that these includes the following,
A shoebill stork has such outstanding prehistorical look, it has got the unique shoe shaped bill, that is so wide in that it can reach about 150 cm tall and can weigh up to 14 pounds, being unique even the Arabs used to call the shoebill stork ‘’Abu Maruk’’ that means the father of the shoes, also the people could call the bird specie a flying shoe because of its unique bill.
It is so interesting bird specie from the others that is the bird has got the longer lifespan that is the bird can live for over 50 years in its life and again bird is a solitary.
A shoebill has got the monogamous relationships during mating season that is between April and June, the parent birds makes a nest on the ground, and the female usually lays two eggs there, and both the parents participates in the process during the incubation period that takes a month, also the new chicks are fed by the parent birds for several months until they are old enough to be able to look for themselves their own food in the environment.
A shoebill stork though tends to be nocturnal, they are primarily water bird species and they do not have the webbed feet, but still it can stealthily stalk their prey in the water.
