Efforts to conserve Shoebill stepped up

Shoebill is one of the most visited bird in Uganda. File photo 

In Summary

A darling of birdwatchers, the Shoebill’s biggest problem is that the community around Lake Opeta hunts down the birds and eats them, writes Gillian Nantume.

The Shoebill is one of the tourist attractions of Uganda, appealing to those who love birdwatching.
One of the most distinctive features of the Shoebill is its huge, wide, and sharp shoe-shaped bill from which it derives its name. This bill helps it to forage in swampy vegetation for food.
Jossy Muhangi, the public relations manager, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) says that the Shoebill is probably the most visited bird in Uganda.
“The Shoebill is a darling with birdwatchers. I think this is because when a human being moves near it, it bows. In many cultures, bowing is a sign of greeting. This makes it interesting to watch.”
The Shoebill also has a tendency to remain still for long periods of time, like a statue. It is also a highly solitary bird that prefers to live alone.
Shoebills significantly live in wetland areas, and in Uganda, they are to be found in the protected habitats of Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks. However, they are also found in the non-protected areas of Mabamba Bay in Wakiso District, Nabajjuzi Wetland in Masaka District and Lake Opeta (Bisina) in Katakwi District.
“They feed on living organisms in the swamps, such as mudfish,” says Muhangi. Shoebills also feed on lungfish, catfish, frogs, water snakes, rodents, and small water fowls. Although they are known to live in one place for a long time, Shoebills will move to other areas in response to declining water levels and food availability.
Are they an endangered species?
Recently, news reports indicated that the population of the Shoebill is disappearing from Lake Opeta in Katakwi District.
Charles Ichagor, executive director, Conserve Uganda, says it has been six months since a Shoebill was last seen at Lake Opeta.
“The main problem is that the community around the lake hunts down the birds and eats them,” Ichagor says, adding, “This means the Shoebill is critically endangered in this place.”
Conserve Uganda is a tourism firm that has been protecting the Shoebill around Lake Opeta.
Ichagor adds that once in a while fishermen inform the firm that they spotted one or two Shoebills at a great distance.
Shoebills are sensitive to human occupation and in the unprotected areas of Lake Opeta, Mabamba, and Nabajjuzi, the surrounding areas are experiencing a population boom.
“In areas such as Lake Opeta, people are encroaching on swamps and even reclaiming them to grow rice and wheat,” says Muhangi, adding, “This human activity leads to a disturbance in the habitats of the Shoebills, causing them to migrate to other areas.”
On the other hand, the activities of fishing communities around the unprotected areas are a threat to the survival of the Shoebill species.
“Fishermen are superstitious and they believe Shoebills bring bad luck to them. If they go on the lake to lay their nets and meet Shoebills they believe their catch that night will be very small. So they kill them whenever they find them.”

Creating awareness
This kind of superstitious belief, coupled with encroachment on wetlands could be what is contributing to the declining stock of Shoebills in some areas.
Conserve Uganda is creating awareness among the community in Lake Opeta on the importance of nature conservation.
“We have formed community conserved areas and each has an association to help sentitise the communities,” Ichagor says, continuing, “We are teaching them to own the Shoebill.”
The firm has also begun a process to lobby for the areas around Lake Opeta to be gazetted as a protected site.
“Currently, the boundaries are not demarcated but after consultations we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nature Uganda to see that the lobbying process gets off the ground.”
UWA, Nature Uganda, and the Ministry of Tourism, have also combined efforts to sensitise communities about the need to conserve nature.
Muhangi says, “We are teaching them that the Shoebill has to be conserved for both nature and economic value. If it is of great interest to birdwatchers, then it brings in a lot of tourism money that benefits the country and the community.”
The latest statistics of UWA show that there are 1500 Shoebills in Uganda.
“Actually, in the protected areas in the national parks, the population of Shoebills is growing. This is because they are not prone to poachers. Birdwatchers tell us that older Shoebills are increasingly being found with their young ones. This is a good trend.”
Lake Opeta, Mabamba Bay, and Nabajjuzi are all Wetland Systems that have been listed as Wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Conventions.
They are also recognised by Bird Life International as International Bird Areas.

Shoebill factfile
Shoebills can live for up to fifty years. Courtship of these largely monogamous birds occurs in the rainy season.

One interesting fact is that during the breeding period, the breeding pair occupies different parts of the territory; the male birds live alone, and the female birds live alone.

Like most birds, the female Shoebill will lay a number of eggs that will hatch. However, only one bird survives to maturity due to sibling rivalry, with the older chick killing off the others.