What Shoebill birds do we see in Uganda?

The Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), commonly known as Bulwe in Luganda, lives in undisturbed African wetlands; it is endemic to countries such as Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. Researchers have also recorded sightings of this large stork in Burundi. As a result, these habitats provide the isolation the bird needs to thrive.

Characteristics of Shoebills

It’s about 128cm long and weighs about 5-7 kg. Both sexes are grey, with pale grey eyes and long grey wading legs that enable them to stand in wetlands to catch prey; immatures are brown.

The Shoebill has a small raised crest and a large, shoe-like hooked bill that helps it hook away its prey. The sides of its bill have a scissor-like shape, which helps the bird squeeze and kill the prey. It holds its wings in flight and can flap 150 times per minute. It’s the first African bird of note ( a bird one should see before he dies) because it didn’t go through revolution, and it’s believed to be a nasal still,

Shoebills live as solitary birds that feed primarily on lungfish, frogs, Nile monitors, and baby crocodiles. Specifically, they can stand still for up to five hours; as a result, they use their sharp vision to strike prey with a 60% success rate.

These birds remain monogamous and build flat ground nests out of dry papyrus on floating vegetation. Both sexes build the nest, but the female lays 1 to 3 eggs and incubates them for 30 days. After hatching, the female takes primary responsibility for caring for the chicks.

Female Shoebill

The female Shoebill stores food in her gullet and subsequently feeds it directly to her young. The chicks begin flying at 112 days; however, they remain highly sensitive to human presence and may abandon the nest if disturbed. Furthermore, the birds reach maturity in about two to three years. Interspecific competition for food often occurs among the young; consequently, the first-hatched chick usually pushes its siblings out of the nest to ensure its own survival.

Conservationists classify this bird as vulnerable; consequently, they estimate its total population at only 5,000 to 8,000 individuals. In Uganda, birdwatchers commonly spot it in Mabamba, the Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Katonga, and Murchison Falls; travellers have recently sighted it in the Kiryandongo area as well.

Its lifespan is about 25-30 years.

Fishermen believe this bird is a bad omen. When they find this bird on their way to fishing, they never catch fish, so they kill it. However, sensitisation has reduced bird killings.