Bird Watching Journeys in Eastern & Central Africa
Kenyas Top Birding Sites
- Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Best Kenya Luxury Bird Watching Safari Guide
Kenya Bird Watching Safari Highlights...
Kenya is one of only 15 countries globally where over 1,000 bird species have been recorded, and it lies third on the African avian diversity list after DR Congo and Tanzania. Birds of Kenya list includes the world’s two largest birds (Common and Somali Ostrich, now regarded as separate species) and its bulkiest flying creature (Kori bustard), along with a wealth of raptors and a dazzling array of colorful bee-eaters, turacos, parrots, rollers, sunbirds and passerines.
We organize well-curated luxury birding safaris that are rewarding everywhere in Kenya. For dedicated custom luxury birdwatching on a safari in Kenya, a well-planned luxury three-week itinerary is likely to result in a trip list of 350–450 species, a figure that compares favorably well with anywhere in the world.
Explore Kenya Luxury Bird Watching Hotspots...
From the open savannahs of Kenya’s vast national parks and reserves such as the Maasai Mara and Tsavo to the plains of Laikipia and the high altitudes of Mount Kenya and Mount Elgon, Kenya provides an excellent ornithological expeditions to even the avid birders and the perfect introductory to East Africa’s birds.
The urban centers, rivers to forests and on the coastal strips birding opportunities are super. Down to the Rift Valley, lakes Naivasha, Elementaita, Nakuru and Bogoria famed for their overwhelming congregations of waders with Lake Baringo arguably offering even better birding opportunities.
For curious luxury bird-watching safari guests, a region of particular interest is Western Kenya circuit and, in our opinion is well worth a visit for any serious birders and curious tourist out there. We recommend that you consider putting aside a 4-6 day stay to get the very best from this amazing part of Kenya where reasonable biome restricted specialties are to be found. Further to the north, where Samburu-Buffalo Springs-Shaba hosts a high quotient of arid country species whose range is otherwise restricted to less accessible parts of Ethiopia and Somalia.
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Inspirational Kenya Bird Watching Safaris with Oluokos Signature
Depending on your specific location, your birding safari may offer you the chance to spot the stunning lilac-breasted roller, majestic African fish eagle, and elusive forest-dwelling Pel’s Fishing Owl. The rare shoebill stork, which can only be found in a few locations in East Africa, is a popular attraction. On a walking safari along the sweeping shores of one of the shallow saline lakes, you also may see millions of breeding lesser pink flamingo. It’s a breathtaking sight.
Among our many targets are many national and regional rarities. These include national endemics Jackson’s Francolin, Snowy Barbet, Aberdare Cisticola, Grant’s Wood Hoopoe, Turner’s Eremomela, Kikuyu White-eye and Sharpe’s Longclaw. We also seek rarities including East African endemics Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Red-throated Tit, Northern Pied Babbler, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Abbott’s Starling, Kenrick’s Starling, Jackson’s Widowbird, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Hunter’s Cisticola, Black-lored Babbler and Kenya Rufous Sparrow. There are also birds where Kenya has the largest known distribution range for the species, often referred to as ‘Near endemics to Kenya’, and these include Golden-winged Sunbird, Parrot-billed Sparrow, Fire-fronted Bishop and Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver.
Kenya is also considered the “Best Territory” in Africa for some other species also included in our tours. Somali Ostrich, Black-faced Sandgrouse, White-headed Mousebird, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Somali Bee-eater, Jackson’s Hornbill, Taita Fiscal, White-bellied Tit, Hunter’s Sunbird, Somali Sparrow, Golden Palm Weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, Grey-headed Silverbill, Golden Pipit, Steel-blue Whydah, Pangani Longclaw, William’s Lark, Moorland Francolin, Friedmann’s Lark, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Hinde’s Babbler, Abyssinian Wheatear, Kakamega Greenbul and Olive Ibis. Add to this a vast range of more frequently seen African birds, and you have the ideal tour for the birder in Kenya, featuring a really comprehensive bird list.
We visit places and hotels which are well known to Oluokos, in the company of top quality local Guides who equally are well-versed in our birding ways. You will find this a comfortable and professionally organized tour in excellent company!
Why Book Your Kenya Birding Safari
With Oluokos,
Our guests tend to ask what the perfect African birding safari itinerary looks like and to be honest, we don’t have a straight-forward answer.
To answer you in brief, each guest has a unique taste when it comes to enquiring about an African birding safari and this could be based on personality that’s strongly influenced by expectations. We have given a few good to check itineraries to serve as bird watching travel inspirations.
We don’t offer Africa as a bucket list destination, but a rich continent with diversity, meaningful purpose to travel, cultural mosaic and of course, unmatched habitats that have given room to birds and wildlife. We have identified Africa’s most intriguing bird watching safaris that you should consider during your bird watching holiday planning.
Our guests tend to ask what the perfect African birding safari itinerary looks like and to be honest, we don’t have a straight-forward answer.
To answer you in brief, each guest has a unique taste when it comes to enquiring about an African birding safari and this could be based on personality that’s strongly influenced by expectations. We have given a few good to check itineraries to serve as bird watching travel inspirations.
We don’t offer Africa as a bucket list destination, but a rich continent with diversity, meaningful purpose to travel, cultural mosaic and of course, unmatched habitats that have given room to birds and wildlife. We have identified Africa’s most intriguing bird watching safaris that you should consider during your bird watching holiday planning.
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Supports wildlife projects, protected areas and ecosystem regeneration through tourism.
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We strengthen intercultural understanding and relations, safeguarding cultural heritage.
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Commerce affects the sustainability of our destinations the people who live in these natural areas.
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The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings – as a business, our staff and guests.
Bird Watching in Nairobi & Central Kenya
The capital city of Kenya, Nairobi has one a unique fauna and avifauna giving guests opportunities to explore its urban diversity. Featuring a number of ornithological area of interests, Nairobi’s bird watching hotspots are within reach allowing you to enjoy some birding as you wait for your next flight or as an option if you have a few hours to spare in between your meetings.
Kenya is an ideal destination for birders. The country’s endemic birds are something to behold while the migratory bird species give birdwatchers the chance to observe the birds in their natural habitats. Kenya is certainly a birding location for everyone.
Almost 1100 bird species have been recorded in Kenya, nearly twice the total number of birds in Europe. This in itself is sufficient for any birdwatcher to come to Kenya for a birding holiday. As a destination, Kenya is rich in biodiversity lying hidden almost in every corner of the country.
The clandestine treasures attractions that are not only easily accessible, but also offer highly gratifying experiences. A good number of endemic and near-endemic bird species can easily be seen on a two weeks birding tour. These birds are especially sought-after as they only occur within the country or marginally beyond.
The European migrants are present from August to April. Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, offers a couple of places that are close enough, and tend to be both productive and rewarding in the numbers of birds species seen or recorded. An informative guided birding tour will introduce you to the feathered fauna of the Kenya birds that are interesting and, beautiful.
Besides there are excellent avian spots in the surrounding areas just within 2 hours drive where you can go for a day safari for a rewarding birding experience. Please, find some of our recommended ornithological sites around Nairobi.
Kenya’s coast has some fascinating birding opportunities. From the Lamu region moving to the to Malindi area where we’ll explore the Arabuko-Sokoke coastal forest, tracking down endemic and near-endemic specialties such as the exquisite Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Amani Sunbird and perhaps Clarke’s Weaver.
Your discovery will also take us to the coastal wetlands and adjoining habitats, where we should find the localized near-endemic Malindi Pipit and Violet-breasted Sunbird, as well as the handsome, monotypic Crab-plover and the restricted-range Sooty Gull.
We’ll continue to explore as we move to Taita Hills for its endemic species namely, the Taita Thrush and Taita Apalis, as well as Taita White-eye.
Coastal region is home to many Kenya endemic species and here is a list highlighting some of the key species to be observed on your coastal birding.
The Sokoke Scops-Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Malindi Pipit, the majestic Crab Plover, Red-naped Bush-shrike, Scaly Chatterer, Nairobi Pipit, Manda Boubou, Somali Sparrow, Somali Courser, Friedmann’s Lark, Southern Grosbeak Canary, Clarke’s Weaver, Mangrove Kingfisher, Amani Sunbird, East Coast Akalat, and Spotted Ground Thrush.
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Energetic City, Built Around the 7 Hills
Another geographical zone of great interest in the Western Plateau the region around Lake Victoria.
Sandwiched between the eastern and western branches of the African Rift system, this zone is fissured by numerous faults and escarpments with valleys in between.
The last remaining equatorial rainforest in Kenya is located there. This zone is unique in that 80 species of birds in the Kakamega Forest are found nowhere else in Kenya.
An exploration to the high altitude of the Kongelai Escarpment onto the Western Plateau adds to the diversity of bird species that are unique and therefore are restricted to this region.
The dense Papyrus swamps and other lakeshore vegetation around Lake Victoria and its satellite lakes are home to specialty species.
Moving a little to the north from Lake Victoria with its super aquatic species, the Busia Grasslands and the surrounding hills near the northeast shore of Lake Victoria is home to several localized bird species
Bird watching in Kenya is a cool affair that welcomes both first timers and avid birders equally. Flamingos, notably the well-documented birds have been driven from Lake Nakuru in the past half-decade because of industrialization and rising water levels, and many have moved to Lake Bogoria, Lake Elementaita, Lake Magadi and other alkaline lakes within the region.
Apart from matchstick-legged birds that can be seen feeding on the algae that gives them their candy floss hue, Kenya bird species range from the small to the big birds.
From difficult to tell apart finches to the bulk and brilliantly coloured Turaco who is also the song master of the tree tops, the elegant Secretary bird that catwalks the plains and the bold Ostrich that poses with ease for photography and of course, the shy woodpecker that enjoys playing the hide and seek game with its human admirers.
Kenya’s ornithological safari remain to be a real game changer! A visit to Lake Naivasha, home to Golden-winged Sunbirds, and Superb Starlings marks a good introduction to any birder as well as well-curated Kenya birding safari to other Great Rift Valley lakes.
Rift Valley Birding Safari
Finally, the Northern Plain’s geography stretches from Uganda to Somalia and is quite arid. Lake Turkana constitutes this part, semi-desert savanna west of Lake Turkana, and the Chalbi Desert to the east.
Of all the already described geographic zones, this is the only one that is less populated. From the Somali border lies, Samburu National Reserve and still in the extent of this geographical location, and is quite far from the Somali border.
This reserve is home to the Samburu tribe and is home to birds of semi-arid savanna and bush as well as some interesting mammals such as the Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, and Grevy’s Zebra.
Our African Luxury Birding Trips
Top 20+ Best African Birding Luxury Tours and Safaris By Oluokos
At Oluokos, creating effortless African birding holiday experiences is our cup of coffee! In Africa, our luxury birding safaris are packed with transformative moments that resonate deeply with you, fulfilling your birding holiday dreams and ideals. Luxury birding safaris are not always about expensive lodges with champagne and gold taps, nor is it just about exclusive experiences. It’s about the quality moments that you spend with your family and the value for money in return. Let’s weave the best birding safari moments in Africa.
"Can Definately Recommend"
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"Amazing!"
Nia Gibson from United Kingdom
"Birding With Oluokos"
Nathan M from USA
"Great Experience at Ruma National Park"
Sarah G from USA
"Once In Lifetime"
Charlotte from United Kingdom
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"Not Your Regular Safari/Tour Guide.... So Much More!"
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