12 Aug Trip Report – Wild Kenya: Birds & Herps, 4-8 August 2024
Tour Leader: Paul Kungu
As a guide, I recently had the pleasure of leading an enthusiastic group on a birding tour through some of Kenya’s most spectacular natural areas. Over five days, we managed to spot an impressive 176 bird species, along with numerous mammals and reptiles.
Day 1: Lake Naivasha and Lake Elementaita (4 August 2024)
We started at Lake Naivasha, taking a boat to Crescent Island. The morning light was perfect as we set out, and the wetland areas didn’t disappoint. We recorded sightings of Egyptian Geese, Squacco Herons, and Great White Pelicans, Pied, Giant and Malachite Kingfishers, along with African Fish Eagles hunting. In the grasslands, we were treated to views of the always-popular Lilac-breasted Roller and several Sunbird species.
The highlight of the day was spotting a Red-faced Crombec, a tiny bird that often eludes even experienced birders. We also had a dramatic moment when we encountered a large Rock Python – at least 3 meters in length! I ensured everyone kept a respectful distance while I explained the snake’s behaviour and ecological role.
In the afternoon, we visited Lake Elementaita. Here we saw thousands of Lesser Flamingos, and shore birds like Kittlitz’s Plover and Little Stint.
Bird species observed at Lake Naivasha
- Common Ostrich
- Egyptian Goose
- Yellow-billed Duck
- Red-billed Duck
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl
- Little Grebe
- Red-eyed Dove
- Ring-necked Dove
- White-browed Coucal
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Little Swift
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Black Crake
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Crowned Lapwing
- African Jacana
- Gray-hooded Gull
- Whiskered Tern
- Marabou Stork
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Long-tailed Cormorant
- Great Cormorant (White-breasted)
- Great White Pelican
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Hamerkop
- Little Egret (Western)
- Squacco Heron
- Great Egret
- Spectacled Weaver
- Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
- African Pied Wagtail
- White-bellied Canary
- Brimstone Canary
- Grey Heron
- Glossy Ibis
- African Sacred Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
- African Spoonbill
- African Harrier-Hawk
- African Fish-Eagle
- Speckled Mousebird
- Pied Kingfisher
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Red-fronted Barbet
- Fischer’s x Yellow-collared Lovebird (hybrid)
- Chinspot Batis
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- African Paradise-Flycatcher
- Red-faced Crombec
- Green-backed Camaroptera
- Gray-capped Warbler
- Singing Cisticola
- Rattling Cisticola
- Black Sawwing
- Plain Martin
- Barn Swallow
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Common Bulbul
- Red-billed Oxpecker
- Wattled Starling
- Superb Starling
- Pale Flycatcher
- White-browed Robin-Chat
- Collared Sunbird
- Bronze Sunbird
- Baglafecht Weaver
- Streaky Seedeater
- Yellow-crowned Canary
Bird Species Observed at Lake Elementaita
- Squacco Heron
- Great Egret (African)
- Glossy Ibis
- African Sacred Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
- African Spoonbill
- African Fish-Eagle
- Speckled Mousebird
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Rattling Cisticola
- Plain Martin
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Common Bulbul
- Red-billed Firefinch
- African Pipit
- Marabou Stork
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Great White Pelican
- Hamerkop
- Little Egret
- Egyptian Goose
- Yellow-billed Duck
- Cape Teal
- Red-billed Duck
- Greater Flamingo
- Lesser Flamingo
- Little Grebe
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Nyanza Swift
- Little Swift
- Black Crake
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Crowned Lapwing
- Kittlitz’s Plover
- Common Sandpiper
- Little Stint
- Gray-hooded Gull
- Gull-billed Tern
- Whiskered Tern
Day 2: Aberdare National Park (5 August 2024)
We left at 6:45 AM for Ark Lodge, going through Aberdare National Park. The misty forests of Aberdare National Park provided a stark contrast to the previous day. Our key sighting here was the Aberdare Cisticola and the Kiyuku White-eye – both are Kenya endemic species. It’s always a highlight for serious birders to see these as they have an extremely limited range – the Aderdare Cisticola is found nowhere else in the world but in the Aberdare mountain range.
The highlight of the day was of course the Aberdare Cisticola and the Kikuyu White-eye, but the Tacazze Sunbird and Golden-winged Sunbird came a close second. They are such a beautiful sunbirds and also have a restricted range.
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Jackson’s Francolin
- Scaly Spurfowl
- Little Grebe
- Speckled Pigeon
- Dusky Turtle-Dove
- Red-eyed Dove
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- African Swift
- Little Swift
- Grey Crowned Crane
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- Crowned Lapwing
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Western Cattle Egret
- Hadada Ibis
- African Harrier-Hawk
- Augur Buzzard
- Speckled Mousebird
- Tropical Boubou
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- Northern Fiscal
- Long-tailed Widowbird
- Common Waxbill
- Purple Grenadier
- Kenya Rufous Sparrow
- African Pied Wagtail
- Reichenow’s Seedeater
- Cape Crow
- Pied Crow
- Hunter’s Cisticola
- Rattling Cisticola
- Winding Cisticola
- Aberdare Cisticola
- Black Sawwing
- Plain Martin
- Rock Martin
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Common Bulbul
- Kikuyu White-eye
- Superb Starling
- White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher
- Red-backed Scrub-Robin
- Cape Robin-Chat
- White-browed Robin-Chat
- African Stonechat
- Moorland Chat
- Tacazze Sunbird
- Bronze Sunbird
- Malachite Sunbird
- Red-tufted Sunbird
- Golden-winged Sunbird
- Baglafecht Weaver
- Brimstone Canary
- Streaky Seedeater
- Yellow-crowned Canary
Day 3: Samburu National Reserve (6 August 2024)
We started at 7:00 AM, spent some time in Aberdare, then drove through the Solio plains. We reached Samburu and explored the park in the afternoon.
Samburu’s arid landscape brought new species and the real excitement came when we found a Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver. We were also fortunate enough to spot all of the “Samburu Special Five” – the Grevy’s Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk, and Beisa Oryx.
Bird Species Observed:
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
- Speckled Pigeon
- Mourning Collared-Dove
- Ring-necked Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
- Namaqua Dove
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Little Swift
- African Palm Swift
- Marabou Stork
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Hamerkop
- Western Cattle Egret
- Black-headed Heron
- African Sacred Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
- Black-winged Kite
- Bateleur
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
- Northern Red-billed Hornbill
- Grey-headed Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- White-rumped Shrike
- Pied Crow
- Fan-tailed Raven
- Common Bulbul (Dodson’s)
- Wattled Starling
- Superb Starling
- African Grey Flycatcher
- Red-backed Scrub-Robin
- Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
- Hunter’s Sunbird
- Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
- White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
- Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver
- Red-billed Quelea
- Parrot-billed Sparrow
- Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow
Day 4: Buffalo Springs National Reserve (7 August 2024)
We started our game drive in Buffalo Springs at 6:30 AM. We focused on birds of prey, seeing various Eagles and Hawks. We also had great views of a Kori Bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds.
The Von der Decken’s Hornbill was the star of the day. I enjoyed explaining how these birds make their nests.
Bird Species Observed:
- Black-throated Barbet
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Greater Honeyguide
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Lesser Kestrel
- African Gray Woodpecker
- Green-backed Camaroptera
- Collared Sunbird
- Buff-bellied Warbler
- Northern Crombec
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Dodson’s Bulbul
- Black-headed Oriole
- Chestnut Weaver
- Black-bellied Sunbird
- Hunter’s Sunbird
- Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
- Northern White-crowned Shrike
- White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
- White-browed Scrub-Robin
- Somali Crow
- Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
- Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow
- Yellow-crowned Canary
- Vulturine Guineafowl
- Black Crake
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Pied Kingfisher
- Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Crested Francolin
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
- Mourning Collared-Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Namaqua Dove
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Kori Bustard
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
- White-browed Coucal
- African Palm Swift
- Three-banded Plover
- Secretarybird
- Black-winged Kite
- African Harrier-Hawk
- Bateleur
- Long-crested Eagle
- Tawny Eagle
- Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Northern Red-billed Hornbill
- Grey-headed Kingfisher
- Little Bee-eater
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- White-throated Bee-eater
Day 5: Samburu and Return to Nairobi (8 August 2024)
Our last day began with a game drive at 6:30 AM. Before heading back to Nairobi, we were lucky to see a group of Vulturine Guineafowl. These striking birds were a perfect end to our trip.
Conclusion:
Throughout the tour, I was impressed by how excited the group was about every bird we saw. They were patient when looking for hard-to-see birds and thrilled when we found special ones like the Red-faced Crombec or Aberdare Cisticola.
Each day had its own highlights: water birds at Crescent Island and Lake Elementaita, forest birds in Aberdare, and dry country birds in Samburu and Buffalo Springs. The group worked hard to identify birds and were rewarded with 176 different species in just five days.
While we enjoyed seeing mammals and reptiles, including the “Big Five” and “Samburu Special Five”, birds were clearly the main attraction for this group. Tours like this, with people so eager to see Kenya’s wide variety of birds, remind me why I love being a bird guide in this amazing country.
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