Bulletin 363 - Uganda #7 - Storks, Shoebill, Hamerkop, Buffalo

After the week in the Capetown area, the guide Casper Badenhorst, and I flew to Uganda and met a local guide. We started at Entebbe Airport on the southeast corner of Uganda and made a diagonal trip to Murchison Falls NP in the northwest corner. From there, we proceeded south through a chain of nature preserves and parks to the southwest corner at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We finished along the southern border back to the airport.

One of the target birds in Uganda is the 48" tall Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex). This gray stork-like bird with a massive bill is unique in its own family. It is found in large swamps from South Sudan to Zambia. Uganda is the usual place where birders go to see this bird as there is a great location about 2 hours from the airport at Entebbe and guides to take out on a boat to see them. It is also #23 on the top 100 birds to see.

Shoebill

We were able to slowly approach the bird by quietly pushing the boat with poles.

Shoebill

Eventually, he took off and instead of landing back in the swamp, he landed on top of a tree. The guide was amazed. He said he has been taking people to see the bird daily for 10 years and never before saw one land in the tree. My amazing luck comes once again.

Shoebill

A close relative of the Shoebill and another bird in its own family is the 22" Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta). This brown heron like bird has a long crest giving it a hammer-head appearance.

Hamerkop

There was one new stork of the 5 photographed in Uganda. The 32" Abdim's Stork (Ciconia abdimi) is a glossy black backed stork with a white belly and blue facial skin. He was the lifer for me.

Abdim's Stork

The 32" African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus) is a black stork with a gap in his closed mandible. Their main food is mollusks. I have no idea when they have this peculiar mandible

African Openbill

The 42" Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis) is white with black wings, red face and a yellow bill.

Yellow-billed Stork

The 57" male Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) is a black and white stork with a multi-colored bill.

Saddle-billed Stork - male

The huge 60" Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) is amazingly ugly. It has a bare pink head and neck, as it feeds on carrion along with vultures. The big throat pouch is distinctive.

Marabou Stork

The African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) weighs up to 1800 pounds. Here is one with a Cattle Egret on his back.

African Buffalo

We have all seen photos of mammals rolling in dust or mud to protect themselves from biting insects. Well this buffalo has taken matters to the extreme. This was perhaps the funniest photo of the whole trip. He was right beside the road and just looked at us - seeming to say 'Mind your own business'

African Buffalo

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2020 David McDonald

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