Lazarus forest is 612 acres of natural forest being restored, found in Luwero District just outside Kampala City District. The Lazarus’ Forest is a program under the Bethany Land Institute (BLI), a catholic church founded institute, that started the restoration of the forest as a learning center for ecological education and reafforestation. The BLI are ‘resurrecting’ the only surviving forest in Luwero District, naming it after the Biblical Lazarus who was resurrected from the dead by Jesus Christ.
Lazarus Forest is a secondary forest that is characterized by a thick undergrowth of recently planted trees and many shrubs growing among tall mature trees. It is a diverse forest with many species of trees and shrubs, and more trees species are being introduced on a regular basis. Only local tree species are planted in the forest.
A variety of wildlife are finding refugee in this forest and are blossoming. Monkeys, lizards, squirrels, snakes, butterflies and plenty of birds.
BLI has availed Lazarus Forest and environs for birding and it is a nice place to include in your birding tour in Uganda for twitchers planning a birding holiday in Uganda. It is also a perfect place for a one day birding excursion from Kampala for birders who have just a day and want to see some local birds in Uganda.
Lazarus Forest & Bethany Land Institute – more than just forest birding
The forest being restored is the highlighted habitat, but there is excellent birding outside the forest in woodlands, gardens, grassland, bushes & thickets, and even swamp. It is not easy finding a place near Kampala where you can go birding comfortably, to look for the sought-after and common birds of the bushland, woodlands and garden; such as cuckoos, doves, pigeons, tinkerbirds, pipits, weavers, bush-shrikes, cisticolas, sunbirds, woodpeckers, etc… This place is simply a gem, with good trails that take you through various habitats all under the institute and with minimal disturbance, you will tick off a good number of bird species. May be it cannot be compared to the accomplished forest birding destinations that are not far from Kampala such as Mabira Forest, but the extra habitats around Lazarus forest and a good trail with few onlookers make it a perfect place if you are interested in ticking off as many local birds as possible while on birding on foot.
Most of the productive birding is outside the forest in the bushlands and gardens, and at the edge of the forest. The interior of the forest is not so productive at the moment due to a thick undergrowth.
On a good you day you will record more than 100 species including several lifers!
Below is a bird list from a previous half day birding excursion from the area:
Red-eyed Dove
Blue-spotted Wood-dove
African Green Pigeon
Eastern Plantain-eater
Blue Malkoha
Diederik Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
Hamerkop
Cattle Egret
Hadada Ibis
African Harrier Hawk
Palmnut Vulture
Long-crested Eagle
Lizard Buzzard
Speckled Mousebird
Crowned Hornbill
Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Broad-billed Roller
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Lesser Honeyguide
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker
African Grey Woodpecker
Nubian Woodpecker
Eurasian Kestrel
Red-headed Lovebird
Meyer’s Parrot
Black Cuckoo-shrike
Grey-headed Tchagra
Tropical Boubou
Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike
Mackinnon’s Shrike
Piacpiac
African Blue-flycatcher
White-chined Prinia
Green-backed Camaroptera
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Red-faced Cisticola
Winding Cisticola
White-headed Sawing
Little Greenbul
Common Bulbul
Ruppel’s Starling
Splendid Starling
African Thrush
Northern Black-flycatcher
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Olive-bellied Sunbird
Green-throated Sunbird
Black-necked Weaver
Spectacled Weaver
Vieillot’s Weaver
Village Weaver
Golden-backed Weaver
Compact Weaver
Black Bishop
Grosbeak Weaver
Bronze Mannikin
Black-and-white Mannikin
Black-crowned Waxbill
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Brown Twinspot
Red-billed Firefinch
Pin-tailed Whydah
Northern Gray-headed Sparrow
African Pipit
Yellow-fronted Canary
At the end of the birding at Lazarus Forest, participants are each given a tree to plant and contribute to the reforestation efforts of institute.
How to get to Lazarus Forest and Bethany Land Institute
The forest and institute are found in Nandere village, near Bombo in Luwero District. You drive out of Kampala taking the Kampala – Gulu highway, for about 30 – 40 minutes and branch off at Kalule trading center to Nandere.
The drive from Kampala to Nandere is about 1 hour or less depending on the traffic situation, hence you have to leave Kampala by 6am so that by 7am you are already on the birding trail.
