Judith Mirembe
The Shoebill is a globally threatened species on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and Endangered on the National Red List for Uganda. It is estimated to have a population of 3300-5300 mature individuals across its range faced with a continuous decline. It inhabits fresh water wetlands in Afrotropical Africa spanning from South Sudan to Zambia. In Uganda, the population is estimated at spread across 12 of the Important Bird Areas and Mabamba wetland is one of the core breeding areas and a popular place for ecotourism. The wetland is key to the livelihoods of the surrounding local communities through ecotourism, fishing, sand mining and many other activities. The Shoebill is faced with a number of threats that are leading to its decline across its range mostly resulting from human disturbance such as; hunting, nest disturbance, burning and illegal wildlife trade. The International Single Species’ Action Plan for the Shoebill whose goal is to increase the population of the species and reduce mortality identified numerous gaps to the conservation of the Shoebill. Among the gaps is the breeding ecology, movements of the Shoebill, shoebill-human interactions, threats and population trends.
Despite Mabamba Wetland being an Important Bird Area (IBA) and a Ramsar Site, the site does not necessarily receive special protection and survives at the mercy of the local communities. The existence of high mortality rates, disappearance of eggs and chicks under unclear circumstances at Mabamba Wetland informed the study on the dispersal of young and nesting requirements for the Shoebill. The researcher will use local knowledge to find nests, species of vegetation in proximity of the nest will be identified, and water levels measured. The nest will be monitored for threats using trail cameras. Telemetry will be applied on a juvenile between 4-6 months and an adult to monitor the dispersal and movements. Judith will train 3 members from the local community in monitoring and reporting observable threats to the shoebill who will train others and champion the conservation of the Shoebill at Mabamba wetlands.