Bird watching in Kenya

Bird watching in Kenya

Bird watching in Kenya, an African country with a second-highest birdlist, offers an exceptional Kenyan birding safari. This tour visits key habitats and locations, including soda lakes, freshwater lakes, grasslands, savannah woodlands, mountainous ecosystems, extreme drylands, and tropical habitats like Kakamega Forest. The tour also includes a visit to big game and animal wildlife, making it a sought-after Kenyan birding experience.

Kenya is home to numerous national and regional rarities, including Jackson’s Francolin, Snowy Barbet, Aberdare Cisticola, Kikuyu White-eye, Grant’s Wood Hoopoe, Turner’s Eremomela, and Sharpe’s Longclaw. Near endemics to Kenya include Golden-winged Sunbird, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Fire-fronted Bishop, and Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver.

Kenya’s diverse birdlife, including the Somali Ostrich and Blue-headed Bee-eater, makes it an ideal destination for birders. Experience the region’s wildlife with top-quality local guides and well-versed local guides.

Day 1: London – Nairobi

After relaxing in our complimentary VIP Airport Lounge, we fly from London in the late afternoon flying Kenya Airways to Nairobi, arriving the following morning.

Day 2: Nairobi National Park

The tour begins in Nairobi where we will be received by our local guides, and enjoy a packed breakfast to set us up for a wonderful day! We head directly to Nairobi National Park for a great birding morning in Kenya’s oldest National Park, just 7 km from the edge of the Nairobi city centre. Indeed, this is Kenya’s capital birding location, with over 500 species recorded. Species include Secretary bird, African Water Rail, Spotted Thick-knee, Black-winged Plover, African Finfoot, Pangani Longclaw, Jackson’s Widowbird, Kori Bustard, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Saddle-billed Stork, African Yellow White-eye, Common Nightingale, Rüppell’s Robin-chat, Northern Pied Babbler, Whitetailed Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Somali Short-toed Lark, Red-throated Tit, Speke’s Weaver, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Martial Eagle, African Crowned Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, African Quail-finch, Zebra Waxbill, Harlequin Quail, Lappet-faced Vulture, Violet Wood-hoopoe, Nairobi Pipit, Grassland Pipit, Siffling Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola and Desert Cisticola. The park also hosts many other interesting animals, including Zebra, Cape Buffalo and Maasai Giraffe plus a wide range of antelope species and possibly Lion and Black Rhino.

During our rest stop in the Park we enjoy a picnic lunch as we add more birds to our list, and visit the important ivory-burning area, where the Kenyan Government makes a strong and highly visible stance against the ivory trade. Later we head to our hotel, check in and relax during the heat of the afternoon after a very busy day. Driving today 15km (30min). Overnight in Nairobi at The Boma Hotel

Day 3: Mount Kenya National Park

Leaving from Nairobi, we have an early start and head to Mt. Kenya arriving before lunch. We bird around the lodge and forest trails, targeting forest and woodland species such as African Cuckoo-Hawk, Mountain Buzzard, Crowned Eagle, Alpine Swift, Purple-throated Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey Cuckoo-Shrike, Mountain Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Slender-billed Greenbul, Mountain Yellow-Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Black-throated Apalis, Black-collared Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, White-browed Crombec, Hunter’s Cisticola, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, African Black Duck, Red-fronted Parrot, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Spectacled Weaver, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Scaly Francolin, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Rueppell’s Robin-Chat, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Malachite Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Black-headed Waxbill, Olive Ibis, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Slender-billed Starling, Abbott’s Starling, Sharpe’s Starling, Kenrick’s Starling, Waller’s Starling, Kikuyu White-eye, Fine-banded Woodpecker, White-headed Wood-Hoopoe, Bar-tailed Trogon, Yellow-crowned Canary, Dusky Turtle Dove, African Green Pigeon, Lemon Dove, African Olive Pigeon, and Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon.

Montane mammals are likely, including monkeys, antelopes, mongooses, genets, pigs, hogs, elephants and buffalo. Driving today 160 km (3 hrs). Overnight at Aberdare Country Club,

Days 4 & 5: Buffalo Springs and Samburu

We leave early for Buffalo Springs and Samburu (180 km, 3 hrs), spending the next two days birding this special place. As we approach Samburu, we pass dry country where we keep an eye for specialities such as Straw-tailed Whydah, Steel-blue Whydah, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, Rufous Bush Chat, Fan-tailed Raven, Bristle-crowned Starling, Fischer’s Starling, Magpie Starling, Rüppell’s Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, White-bellied (Variable) Sunbird and Pink-breasted Lark. We enjoy a game drive the first afternoon, and the following day have both a morning and afternoon session, with a lunch break to relax.

In Samburu, we keep scouting for extra birds as we enjoy local mammals such as Leopard, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Cheetah, Reticulated Giraffe, Lion and Elephant. Birds expected here include Somali Ostrich, Somali Courser, Golden Pipit, Golden-breasted Starling, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Pringle’s Puffback, Northern Puffback, Northern White-crowned Shrike, White-headed Mousebird, Hunter’s Sunbird, Black-bellied Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, Red-billed Hornbill, Eastern Yellowbilled Hornbill, Von der Decken’s Hornbill, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Fire-fronted Bishop, Somali Bee-eater, Stone Partridge, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Northern Crombec, Northern Grey Tit, Black-capped Social Weaver, Northern Brownbul, Buff-crested Bustard, African Bare-eyed Thrush, Somali Sparrow, Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar, Dusky Nightjar, Vulturine Guineafowl, Rufous Chatterer, African Mourning Dove, European Turtle Dove, Egyptian Vulture, Bateleur, Martial Eagle and Tawny Eagle. Driving total 180km (3hrs). Two nights at Samburu Sopa Lodge.

Day 6: Naro Moru

Bird watching in Kenya, On this day, we begin with some more birding in Samburu, before heading to Naro Moru (140 km, 2.5 hrs), at the foothills of Mt. Kenya. Here we enjoy birding around our lodge and the neighbouring area for species such as Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Brown Parisoma, African Paradise Flycatcher, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Red-fronted Parrot, Northern Double-collared Sunbird and Little Rock Thrush. One night at Naro Moru River Lodge.

Days 7 & 8: Lake Baringo

Bird watching in Kenya, We leave early morning for Lake Baringo. Today is a long transfer of 255 km (5 hrs), though birding will be active along the way, and we have several stops scheduled to check for some special birds such as endemic Hinde’s Babbler and exciting Mackinder’s Eagle-Owl. If time allows, we stop briefly at a roadside dam near the lake, to check for waterfowl. We arrive in Baringo in the afternoon, and will spend some time walking around the scrubland for owls, nightjars and other specialities of this area. Birds to expect here include Spotted and Greyish Eagle-Owls, Northern White-faced Scops Owl, Shikra, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Verreaux’s Eagle, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar, Heuglin’s Courser, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Black-throated Barbet, Brubru, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Somali Fiscal, Three-streaked Tchagra, Spotted Thick-knee, Senegal Thick-knee, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Nubian Woodpecker, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Little Weaver, Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, White-bellied Canary, Beautiful Sunbird, Black-headed Plover, Jackson’s Hornbill, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Northern Red Bishop, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Somali Sparrow and Bristle-crowned Starling, among many others.

We start the next day with a boat ride on Lake Baringo in search of water birds such as African Jacana, Black Crake, Goliath Heron, Little Bittern, Purple Heron and White-faced Whistling Duck. The boat ride will also help us enjoy the beauty of the lake and see local African Fish Eagles advertising their territories as they hunt. We return to the lodge for breakfast, then scout the local scrubland and nearby cliffs seeking birds we may have missed the previous day. After lunch, we relax for some time and later take another walk seeking nightjars and owls, among other birds. Two nights in Baringo, at Soi Safari Lodge.

Days 9 & 10: Kakamega Forest

The journey to Kakamega, a 220 km journey, offers a rich birding experience with a variety of species including the Kakamega Greenbul, Yellow-shouldered Widowbird, Little Greenbul, Shelley’s Greenbul, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, and more. The Kakamega Forest, a remnant of the Guineo-Congolian Equatorial forest, is home to a variety of birds, including the Green Sunbird, Western Olive Sunbird, and other unique species. The journey takes around 4 hours and includes two nights at the Rondo Retreat Lodge.

Day 11: Lake Nakuru National Park

We leave Kakamega for Nakuru, arriving by midday (180km 3.5hrs). We enjoy a lunch break and then have an afternoon game drive. The following day will see morning and afternoon sessions for birding, with a break in between for lunch and to relax.

This park is famed as a birdwatchers’ paradise, and indeed was the first national park in Africa to be set up with an avian conservation objective. Famous for its Lesser Flamingos, other birds here include Woolly-necked Stork, Arrow-marked Babbler, Little Rock-Thrush, Mocking Cliff Chat, White-browed Robin-Chat, Reed Cormorant, Pink-backed Pelican, Pied Avocet, Kittlitz’s Plover, Blacksmith Plover, Coqui Francolin, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Black Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, African Cuckoo, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Cape Teal, Brimstone Canary, Hottentot Teal, Red-billed Teal, Dusky Nightjar and Montane Nightjar. The park is also a great sanctuary for rhinos, and White and possibly Black Rhino may be encountered as we move around the park. Other mammals will be seen, especially herds of grazing herbivores and Rothschild’s Giraffe.  Driving total 180km (3.5hrs). One night in at Nakuru Sopa Lodge.

Day 12: Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha

Bird watching in Kenya, Birding in Nakuru begins with a visit to Naivasha, where you can observe various species such as Mosque Swallow, Lyne’s Cisticola, Chestnut Sparrow, Abyssinian Wheatear, Nyanza Swift, White-fronted Bee-eater, Mocking Cliff Chat, Bearded Woodpecker, Plain-backed Pipit, Giant Kingfisher, Grey-backed Fiscal, Brimstone Canary, Cape Teal, Pied Avocet, Black Heron, Lesser Flamingo, Maccoa Duck, Great White Pelican, Common Greenshank, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Arrow-marked Babbler, Black-lored Babbler, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Osprey, Hybrid Lovebird, Red-throated Wryneck, Golden-breasted Bunting, Buff-bellied Warbler, Grey Crowned Crane, Black Cuckoo, and Hoopoe.

Day 13: Kinangop Grasslands and Aberdare National Park

A day trip to the highland region of Aberdare National Park, located on the eastern edge of the Rift Valley, offers a picturesque landscape with a thick tropical forest and deep ravines. The park is home to numerous endemic bird species, including the Scarlet-tufted Sunbird, and is home to a variety of other animals, including African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Mountain Bongo, and Giant Forest Hog.

Later in the afternoon we drive through the Kinangop plateau to score some more special birds in the grasslands, and also in local wetlands for highland water birds. Birds here include Black-winged Plover, Red-throated Wryneck, Common Quail, Hunter’s Cisticola, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Long-tailed Widowbird, Jackson’s Widowbird, Angola Swallow, Montane Nightjar, Sharpe’s Longclaw, Mountain Buzzard, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Red-throated Pipit, Black-tailed Godwit, African Snipe and Lesser Jacana. Driving today 65km (1.5hrs). Later, we return to Naivasha for our second night at Sopa Lodge.

Day 14:  Lake Naivasha to Nairobi

Bird watching in Kenya, Today we begin with a morning walk around our lodge, then head for the lakeshore where waterbirds abound. We enjoy a boat ride here to reach more birds and enjoy the lake’s beauty, before enjoying a final lunch at Sopa and leaving for Nairobi, with birding on the way. We arrive in time to check-in and relax, then enjoy our final dinner. Driving today 115km (2hrs). We return to the comfortable The Boma Hotel.

Day 15: Nairobi to London

Bird watching in Kenya, We enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then make the short airport transfer for our flights home.

Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and elements beyond our control (eg weather).