Shoebills and Gorillas in Uganda: There are two things that make a Uganda Safari special. For keen bird watchers, it is tracking and getting to see the elusive Shoebill Stork and for adventure travelers not so keen on birds is trekking through the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi to catch a glimpse of the endangered Mountain Gorillas.
Shoebills and Gorillas in Uganda are found in the most unique habitats.
The shoebill is an elusive prehistoric bird whose history traces back to the dinosaur times. The shoebill has for a long time been mislabeled as a stork until recently when it was reclassified as a Pelican. Shoebills lay eggs similar to pelicans and also share DNA similarities with the Pelican.
The shoebill usually comes in between 40 and 50 inches, although it may be slightly larger than this depending on the individual bird. Male shoebill birds usually weigh around 12 pounds (±5 Kgs) and are a little bit heavier than female shoebills, but not by much. All shoebill birds have massive shoe-like bills and feature grey plumage that is brown when they’re younger. They have a large wingspan meant for soaring and short necks, unlike their stork and pelican relatives. Although their body and wings are shaped somewhat like a condor, shoebills are not related to this type of bird.
Shoebills use their massive, powerful shoe-like bills to kill and eat their prey, which is usually fish. They may also eat some rodents as well as turtles and smaller birds, but this is not very common. Shoebills clatter their bills to communicate with one another, but may also rarely make mooing sounds like a form of communication as well.
The Mountain Gorillas in Uganda are a subspecies of the Eastern gorilla, found only in the east-central African rainforests. As their name suggests, they live only in mountainous elevations of between 8,000 – 13,000 feet. According to a recent publication (2018), a little more than 1,000 mountain gorillas still survive on Earth. In Uganda, there are two locations where you can trek gorillas. These are Bwindi & Mgahinga gorilla, National Park. For an individual to participate in Gorilla Trekking you must be of age 51 years and above, and ought to have pre-booked and fully paid for a Gorilla trekking Permit.
Learn more about Gorilla Trekking
