March 5, 2026
Mabira Forest is one of Uganda’s top birdwatching destinations. Covering 306 square kilometers, it is the biggest forest in the central region of Uganda which is the location of the capital Kampala and the International Airport in Entebbe. Both Kampala and Entebbe are located about one and half hours’ drive from the forest. Mabira is therefore a very important birdwatching destination being close to the capital and the airport. A lot of birdwatching trips to Uganda have Mabira as one of the first places on the list to visit. Also, it is the obvious destination for one looking for 1 or 2 days of good forest birding from Kampala.
Though Mabira Forest faces huge existential challenge, it is still a place offering great birdwatching in Uganda.
Birds of Mabira Forest
Mabira Forest has an impressive bird list of about 346 bird species recorded so far, and on a good day of covering the forest and environs one can tick off up to 100 species.
Mabira is largely a secondary forest with thick undergrowth, so the forest edge and open spaces tend to be more productive. Barbets, woodpeckers, weavers, sunbirds, flycatchers, tinkerbirds, wattle-eyes, etc.. are better spotted by the forest edge. The interior, however, has a lot of the forest specials across the strata of the forest, from the cuckoos, shrike-flycatchers in the top canopy, trogons, woodpeckers in middle strata, to the greenbulls, bristlebills, bluebills, robins, robinchats, in the lower strata and, to the ground inhabiting and foraging thrushes, francolins.
What are the special birds of Mabira Forest?
Birders list these birds as the most sought after birds of Mabira forest. What this means, is that these are birds that many birders expect to tick off easily in Mabira but may not be easily seen in other destinations of Uganda. Or, these are rare forest birds widely sought after by birders and Mabira offers a good chance to spot them. Yours however, may be different depending on what is on your wish list
Nahan’s Francolin
Tit Hylia
Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle
Forest Wood-hoopoe (Forest scimitarbill)
Lesser Bristlebill (Yellow-eyed Bristlebill)
Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
Lowland Sooty Boubou
Jameson’s Wattle-eye
Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo
Forest Robin
Birding in Mabira – the sectors and how to approach them
Griffin Falls Camp
This section of Mabira forest is located near Lugazi town, neighboring the huge Mehta sugar plantation. This part of Mabira is only getting by discovered by the birders as it been mostly popular for the epic Zipline adventure and the walk to Griffin falls. The surrounding grassland and gardens greatly compliment the forest birds with lots of savannah species. There are few local settlements neighboring the forest and the sugar plantation sort of shields the forest and area from settlement and human activity. It is therefore great for birding with minimal interruptions.
If you are looking for a more diverse and big checklist for your birding trip to Mabira forest, this is perhaps the best section to go.
You will bird the open grasslands and gardens before taking on the trail along the edge of the forest which is quite productive. The bushes and grasslands and gardens around the forest are alive with waxbills, cisticolas, sunbirds, weavers, flycatchers, cuckoos, finches, mannikins, etc…
Going into the interior of forest, are good trails where you can have uninterrupted time listening to every sound of nature, and observe all the strata for the species of the interior.
Most birders looking to tick off the Nahan’s Francolin, which is potentially Mabira’s number one sought after bird, go to this part of Mabira for better chances.
The area has also given sightings of the Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle.
Mabira eco-tourism center Najjembe
This is the headquarters of the Mabira Forest Reserve and the most popular for activities into the forest. It is well situated just off the Jinja – Kampala highway at Najjembe.
This side of Mabira has better developed trails and are more extensive going deeper into the forest. Unlike Griffin Falls that has a buffer of grassland, gardens, and sugarcane plantation before entry into the forest, here at the eco-tourism center you arrive into the forest and most birding is in the forest interior.
The Forest Robin and African Thrush foraging on the ground welcome you as soon as you step on the trail in the early morning, followed by Red-tailed Bristlebill, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Brown-chested Alethe, Yellow-whiskered Greenbull, and Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush flashing from the thick undergrowth or hoping onto the trail to feed on the ants. The ground and lower strata will give you a good number of sightings before thinking about raising your head to the canopy.
Mabira Rainforest lodge road and trails
The Rain Forest Lodge, an upmarket lodging, is also located off Najjembe on the other side of the road, opposite the Mabira Eco tourism center. There is a 2km dirt road from the highway at Najjembe to the lodge and part of it goes through the forest. This bit of the forest offers excellent birding of the forest edge and some specials have ticked off along this stretch, such as the Forest Wood-hoopoe (Forest Scimitarbill). The only challenge is that it is a busy road and therefore frequent interruption from passersby.
Once at the Rainforest Lodge you can take on quiet trail into the forest for birdwatching.
Village tracks
Along the Jinja highway through Mabira Forest are village tracks that offer excellent forest edge and can greatly compliment your birding in Mabira. However expect interruption from speeding motorcycles and passersby.
