Kenya Birding Safari

Overview

A 16-day birding tour around Kenya from Nairobi: Nairobi National Park, Lake Naivasha, the Kinangop grasslands and the Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, Samburu and Buffalo Springs, Lakes Nakuru and Baringo, three days in Kakamega Forest, Lake Victoria and the Masai Mara.

Itinerary

Day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   Arrival in Nairobi, the African safari capital

   We shall arrive on our Kenya Birding Tour via Nairobi, the tourism capital of Kenya.

   Depending on your arrival time and how tired you may be from the flights, you can choose to add an extra birding session this afternoon. Otherwise, you can relax and enjoy the local city birds from your hotel.

   Night in Nairobi.

2. 2

   Day 2

   Nairobi National Park to Lake Naivasha

   We spend the day in this park, which has always proven successful on our tours. This is Kenya’s oldest national park, located just 7 kilometres from the edge of the Nairobi city centre.

   Indeed, this is Kenya’s capital birding location, with over 500 species recorded in the park. The park also hosts four of the African Big Five and many other interesting animals that you’ll enjoy during the visit.

   Later in the afternoon we proceed to Naivasha, where our Kenya Birding Tour continues.

   Night in Naivasha.

3. 3

   Day 3

   Kinangop Grasslands and Aberdare National Park, then to Mt. Kenya

   • Aberdare

   A boat ride on Lake Naivasha ensures you can reach more species in the middle of the lake as you enjoy the aquatic beauty. Later our Kenya Birding Tour departs for the Central Kenya Highlands.

   Home to some of the best of Kenya’s endemic birds, the Kinangop and Aberdare area promises to be rewarding on each trip. Indeed, our Kenya Birding Tour scores very well on national and regional endemics here.

   We start from the lower grasslands and gain elevation up to the Aberdare National Park, a pristine alpine moorland habitat. Local wetlands will also be sampled for the highland water birds.

   In the later afternoon we proceed to Mt. Kenya, where more birds await.

   Night at Mt. Kenya.

4. 4

   Day 4

   Mt. Kenya

   From the hotel we bird the local bush and forest edge, then head deeper into the mountain forest in our vehicle. We scan the forest, rivers and grasslands for the montane specials all day.

   Montane mammals are likely, including monkeys, antelopes, mongooses, genets, pigs, hogs and squirrels.

   Night at Mt. Kenya.

5. 5

   Days 5–6

   Buffalo Springs and Samburu National Reserves

   • Samburu

   We leave early for Samburu and Buffalo Springs, a very interesting destination on our Kenya Birding Tour. We spend time scouting for extra birds as we enjoy the local mammals, such as Leopard, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Lion and Elephant.

   This is an amazing part of Kenya and allows for excellent dry-country birding. Many of the typical north-east African dryland birds are present here and the habitat will provide a huge species list.

   Nights in Samburu.

6. 7

   Day 7

   Lake Nakuru National Park

   • Lake Nakuru

   Leaving early, we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, with a possible quick stop at a site where Cape Eagle-Owls roost. We arrive in Nakuru around midday and spend the entire afternoon birding in the park.

   This park is famed as the birdwatchers’ paradise, and was the first national park in Africa set up with an avian conservation objective. It is one of the highlight locations on our Kenya Birding Tour: up to a million flamingos have been recorded here depending on their regional migration, most of them Lesser Flamingos with a smaller population of Greater Flamingos.

   The park is also a great sanctuary for rhinos, not forgetting three other members of the Big Five, which we may encounter as we move around the park. Other mammals will be seen, especially herds of grazing herbivores and the Rothschild’s Giraffe.

   Night in Nakuru.

7. 8

   Day 8

   Lake Nakuru to Lake Baringo

   We start with more birding in Nakuru, spending the better part of the morning adding any species we may have missed the previous day.

   In the later afternoon we head for Lake Baringo, birding along the way. If time allows, a brief stop at a roadside dam near the lake to check for waterfowl.

   Night in Baringo.

8. 9

   Day 9

   Lake Baringo

   We enjoy our Kenya Birding Tour in the Baringo area, driving and walking around the scrubland and the cliffs surrounding the lake in search of the birds of this unique area.

   A boat ride also helps you enjoy the beauty of the lake and see the local African Fish Eagles advertising their territories.

   Night in Baringo.

9. 10

   Days 10–12

   Kakamega Forest

   This time is spent exploring Kakamega Forest, a remnant of the Guineo-Congolian equatorial forest. Species diversity here is plenty and we hope to make a huge addition to our Kenya Birding Tour list.

   We spend time walking in the forest in search of local specialities, with short breaks in between. The forest is also great for different unique monkeys, antelopes and squirrel species.

   Nights in Kakamega.

10. 13

    Day 13

    Lake Victoria to Masai Mara National Reserve

    • Masai Mara

    We spend some time this morning enjoying the birds of Lake Victoria, always a great birding site on our Kenya Birding Tours.

    We then proceed to the Masai Mara, arriving at our lodge in the afternoon. Birding stops on the way will likely produce some new species along the local rice fields.

    Night in the Masai Mara.

11. 14

    Days 14–15

    Masai Mara National Reserve

    The next days see us scout the vast Masai Mara in search of the local birds and mammals. Described by many as the top reserve in Kenya, this area has lots to offer, from the Big Five and herds of grazing mammals to the amazing birdlife.

    The magical annual wildebeest migration is also a spectacle that has made the area very famous. Birding will be busy, with several transects across this vast savannah. This area is often the crown of our Kenya Birding Tour.

    Nights in the Masai Mara.

12. 16

    Day 16

    Masai Mara to Nairobi

    This morning we enjoy more birding in the Masai Mara. Later we head back to Nairobi with a few birding stops on the way.

    We then take an airport transfer for your flights home, marking the end of our lovely Kenya Birding Tour.

Highlights

What you may see

Highlight birds

Hartlaub’s Turaco, Jackson’s Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Greyish Eagle-Owl, Red-chested Owlet, Northern White-faced Scops Owl, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Montane Nightjar, Somali Bee-eater, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Equatorial Akalat, Moorland Chat, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Little Rock-Thrush, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Mocking Cliff Chat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Spot-flanked Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-spotted Barbet, White-spotted Flufftail, Dusky Tit, African Emerald Cuckoo, Pink-backed Pelican, Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Somali Courser, Spotted Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Secretarybird, African Water Rail, Sharpe’s Longclaw, Pangani Longclaw, Rock Pratincole, Hartlaub’s Marsh Widowbird, Jackson’s Widowbird, Kori Bustard, Saddle-billed Stork, Hinde’s Babbler, Northern Pied Babbler, Stone Partridge, African Orange-bellied Parrot, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Green-backed Eremomela, Turner’s Eremomela, Green Hylia, Northern Crombec, Northern Grey Tit, Black-capped Social Weaver, Little Weaver, Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, Heuglin’s Masked Weaver, White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Black-faced Sandgrouse, Martial Eagle, Zebra Waxbill, Lappet-faced Vulture, Somali Ostrich, Olive Ibis, Abbott’s Starling, Purple Starling, Lesser Blue-eared Starling, Golden-breasted Starling, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Violet Wood-hoopoe, Nairobi Pipit, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Hunter’s Cisticola, Aberdare Cisticola, Boran Cisticola, Somali Sparrow, Three-streaked Tchagra, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Grey Olive Greenbul, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Eastern Paradise Whydah, Jackson’s Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Golden-winged Sunbird, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Oriole Finch, Narina Trogon, Bar-tailed Trogon

Highlight mammals and others

Leopard, African Lion, Cheetah, Savannah Elephant, White Rhino, Black Rhino, Nile Crocodile, Nile Hippo, Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx, Cape Buffalo

Habitats covered

Savannah, Wetlands, Semi-arid Scrubland, Desert Lava, Highland Forest, Montane Grasslands, Equatorial Forest

Photographic opportunities

Excellent

Special moments

A visit to the ivory burning site, the Masai Mara, Mt Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, an equatorial forest walk, the African Big Five, Kenya’s endemic birds, boat rides