Birding Safaris
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- Published on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 07:48
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Kenya has more than 1,200 birds species in a vast array of habitats. Kenya sits across the equator and has two very well defined seasons, wet and dry and this has added immensely to the climatic appeal that Kenya has for bird life. Superb StarlingIn addition, Kenya lies on the traditional migratory route of birds moving southwards to avoid the harsh winter conditions in the northern hemisphere. From as far as the Bering Straits and as far as the northern tip of Norway, millions of birds pass through East Africa. It is estimated that over 5 billion birds make the journey each year. When you add the visiting birds to the incredible variety of local birds, you most certainly have an ornithological dream world!
During you visit to any national game reserve you will see hundreds of different species, more often all within a day or two. One important aspect to note is that birding safaris require lots of proper planning and adequate time must be set aside. In Kenya, there are several locations which we highly recommend due to the vast diversity of birdlife.
Starting from the northern part of Kenya we have Lake Turkana, and in particular the South Island which is a bird-watchers paradise. Here you will find dry-country birds that have evolved to cope with the harsh, desert conditions. You will find birds such as the swallow-tailed kite, fox kestrel, Heuglin’s bustard, cream-coloured course, Lichtenstein’s sandgrouse, Abyssinian roller, masked and crested lark, William’s bush lark, brown necked raven, Somali fiscal, white-crowned starling, shining sunbird and Somali sparrow. Some of these birds fly up to 50 km each day to scarce water holes.
Tsavo WestKori Bustard in Masai Mara National Reserve. Photo by Rick Blaes. National Park has an abundance of birdlife. Birdlife is profuse especially around the rivers and dams, with more than 400 different species noted. This park also lies on the migration corridor from the coast and migrations from the north fly over the park in November and December. Several species of starlings and weaverbirds abound, in addition to hornbills, lilac-breasted rollers and the secretary bird. Water birds such as herons and yellow-billed storks are common sights in Tsavo.
Other parks and locations you will see plenty of bird species include Aberdare National Park, Chyulu Hills National Park, Amboseli National Park, Shimba Hills National Reserve, Mt. Elgon National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Lake Baringo/Lake Bogoria National Parks, and Saiwa Swamp National Park. These are just a tiny fraction of all available locations. We will be happy to tailor-make for you a birding safari to more than 30 different locations in Kenya. Contact us now.
