The most Sought-after bird of Uganda, the Shoebill
The most Sought-after bird of Uganda, the Shoebill
Every bird watcher and researcher dreams of coming face to face with the prehistoric Shoebill making it top of the birds of Uganda and Africa at large!! Found only in a few fresh water wetlands in Africa, the Shoebill provides livelihoods to the surrounding communities through eco-tourism and plays a big role in the ecosystem. The Shoebill is found in a few countries in Africa, and Uganda provides the best chances of seeing this majestic bird. With a few individuals globally, the population of the Shoebill continues to decline due to human disturbances, knowledge gaps, andclimate change thus making the species vulnerable. A few conservation measures have been put in place among which is the International Single Species’ Action Plan for the Shoebill which highlights knowledge gaps as one of the challenges to the species’ conservation thus calling for research into the little-known aspects of the bird.
Organizer
Judith is a well-trained bird guide and the chairperson of the Uganda Women Birders, an initiative to increase the number of women in nature guiding, specifically bird watching – a male-dominated profession. She has been bird watching since her early ages and started leading bird watching tours in 2017 and is among the few women leading these tours in Uganda. She holds an Msc in Environment and Natural Resources from Makerere University. Judith is passionate about research, conservation and the general environment, an area she has worked in since 2016. She developed the passion in research as she worked as a Bird Population Monitoring Coordinator (2016-2018) with Nature Uganda, a Birdlife partner in Uganda. She is an Alumnus of the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) and the EDGE Fellowship 2017-2019 (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered Species) specifically doing research on the Shoebill. Away from bird watching she is a hockey player and loves family.