Mabira Forest Reserve

Mabira Forest Birds Uganda, Tropical Forest Nature Tours

This is the most significant forest reserve closest to the city centre, and it boasts of a 315 bird record with 74 of the 144 species of Guinea-Congo Forests biome that occurs in Uganda. The forest has well-established trails that include the Red-tailed Monkey, Turaco and the Buttress trails will ease life for you in your search for Nahan’s Francolin which is an IUCN Red list’ endangered species, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Grey Parrot, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, African Dwarf-kingfisher, White-bellied Kingfisher, Forest Woodhoopoe, African Pied Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, African Shrike-flycatcher, Jameson’s and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, the Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-capped Robin-Chat, the Speckle-breasted, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared, Grey and the Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Little Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Sooty Boubou, Grey-green Bush-shrike, just to mention but a few.

The forest is a natural Habitat of 312 species of trees including the Diphasia angolensis which is not known elsewhere in Uganda and five species which are of international conservation concern, the Cordia Millenii, Militia Excelsa, Irvingia gabonensis, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonii. The Warbhugia Ugandenesis which has medicinal properties and known to cure over forty ailments; and the vulnerable prunus Africana are also here.

The forest also hosts a wide range of animals, including endangered primates. One primatologist recently confirmed the discovery of a new Primates Species very close to the Grey-checked Mangabey in this forest!