Are you looking for bird watching tours in Mabamba swamp, Lutembe bay and Makanaga swamp endemics on Lake Victoria shores?  Lake Victoria is the larger freshwater lake in Africa. It is a young lake that is estimated to be 400,000 years old.  Lake Victoria receives its waters from rainfalls and many branches like Akagera River which is located in Rwanda. Lake Victoria pours its water in the River Nile which has its source in Eastern Uganda at a place called Jinja. It is a bigger lake in Africa which is shared by three countries that is Uganda (45%), Tanzania (49%) and Kenya (6%).  It has dried just 3 times in its entire life and it is last dried 17,300 years ago then refilled 14, 700 years back.

Lake Victoria is the one of famous lakes in Africa with several tourism activities that are carried out along the Lake for example boat rides, bird watching, sport fishing mostly huge Nile perch, Tilapia fishes.  Uganda’s portion of the lake has 84 islands, of which fishing is the major activity that takes place.

Birding tour  on Lake Victoria has become a tourism attraction activity for both local and international tourists. Your birding-watching trip on Lake Victoria will give a big opportunity to visit one or several swamps and islands like Ngamba Island which is the best Island for bird lovers as well as a sanctuary for Chimpanzees. Other islands which are rich in bird species are Ssese, Buvuma and Bulago islands

Birdwatching on Lake Victoria is also done in big swamps such as Makanaga, Mabamba and Lutembe bay where you will get an opportunity to watch the unique shoebill stork. Bird watching activity on swamps is carried out by using motorized canoes in open waters and the engines usually go off when birding along the swamp edges.  These canoes are arranged by experienced trained local guides as a way to promote tourism, life jackets are also provided.

These are some of the common bird species you will encounter on your trip include the shoebill stork, Grey-crowned crane,  African jacana, long-tailed cormorant,  Squacco heron, White-winged tern and black crake, sacred ibis, Pink backed pelican, African water rail, Purple swamphen, Egyptian goose, African Marsh Harrier, Grey headed Gull, Lesser jacanaWhite-faced whistling duck, Allen’s gallinule and many more.

Best time for bird watching on Lake Victoria in Uganda.

Bird watching in Uganda is good all year round but the best recommended time is during the dry season that begins from June-August and December-February when the water levels are low and gives the better feeding places and also the grass is short which makes birding activity easier than the wet season.

What to pack on bird watching tour on Lake Victoria in Uganda.

Bird watching on Lake Victoria is mostly done by using an open canoes boat so visitors are required to bring sun cream, rain jacket, sunglass, hut, drinking water, and rain protective camera cover in case of rain, spear batteries, binocular to view the beautiful nature of the Lake Victoria.