An assessment of the sufficiency of the recreational zone of a Ugandan rainforest reserve for avitourism

• Bird species richness was higher in the potentially additional recreational area • IBA trigger- and most sought species were more in the potentially additional area • Most of the new species recorded were in the potentially additional area • The tally of species recorded within the reserve’s boundaries rises from 287 to 344 Avitourism (tourism directed at bird watching) is considered to be one of the most sustainable forms of nature-based tourism, helping to generate income while reducing threats to biodiversity. However, knowledge of birdwatching opportunities in a given site is not always maximized. I compared the existing recreational area of Mabira Central Forest Reserve in Uganda with that of a potentially additional area in the same reserve that is allotted to wood production. The reserve is an Important Bird Area (IBA). Birds were surveyed in the two areas concurrently during June-September 2019, and again in May and November 2024 using the double-observer point count method. Two hundred and sixty-one species belonging 61 families were recorded. Fifty-seven previously unrecorded species were detected, raising the number of species detectable from within the reserve from 287 to 344. Inter-site comparisons of species richness, species diversity, numbers of IBA-trigger species, species sought by specialist birders visiting the reserve and species categorized by habitat affiliation all showed higher values for the potentially additional area. However compositionally, riverine sites were distinct from upland sites. These results suggest that adding the potentially additional area to the existing recreational site could improve the reserve’s avitourism appeal. In both areas, birdwatching trails should be designed to traverse the different microhabitats for a comprehensive birding experience. The results contribute to the still limited but growing body of evidence that forest zones created using early models be re-assessed for efficacy in meeting the intended conservation and development goals.