Kenya Birding Importance

Papyrus Gonolek

Birding in Kenya – The variation in habitats across Kenya guarantees specific bird lists, making it a fascinating part of the world for a birder’s stop. Much of the country is open grassland to open bush-land; birds are relatively easy to see. Birding speciality tours reckon 600 species in a mere three weeks tour! It has one of the richest avifauna in Africa, with up to 1,132 bird species recorded. Out of which 9: Taita Thrush Turdus helleri, Tana River Cisticola Cisticola restricts, Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola Aberdare, Taita White-eye Zosterops Silvanus, South Pare White-eye Zosterops kulalensis, Hinde’s Pied-BabblerTurdoides hindei, Williams’s Lark Mirafra williamsi, Sharpe’s Pipit Macronyx sharpie, Clarke’s Weaver Ploceus golandi, are national endemics

Birding in Kenya – Kenya has around 170 Palearctic migrants, mainly from Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Siberia (11 of which with a local breeding population too). Another 60 regularly migrate within the Afrotropics or from Madagascar. Some 335 of Kenya’s bird species are found in forests; 230 are entirely forest-dependent, and 110 are ‘forest specialists’, requiring intact, undisturbed habitat. Forty species of global conservation concern are known to occur in Kenya; 4 of these are Critically Endangered, two endangered and 16 Vulnerable. One, Tana River Cisticola, is classed as Data Deficient. Sharpe’s Pipit Macronyx sharpei, classified as Near Threatened and Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola Aberdare, not listed by Collar et al.

Birding in Kenya – Kenya includes smaller portions of three other Endemic Bird Areas: the Tanzania– Malawi Mountains with 3 out of 37 species, all in the Taita Hills, the Serengeti plains 3 out of 6 species, and the Jubba and Shabeelle valleys with 1 out of 5 species; Jubba and Shabeelle valleys touch Kenya in the extreme north-east of the country. The Taita Hills are geologically the northernmost representatives of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Malawi but have no restricted-range bird species in common with the rest of the Endemic Bird Areas. Secondary Areas include the Kakamega and Nandi forests, with Chapin Flycatcher Muscicapa lendu, the North Kenyan short-grass plains with Williams’s Lark Mirafra williamsi and Mount Kulal with South Pare White-eye Zosterops kulalensis.

Birding in Kenya – The most significant biomes are the Somali–Masai- Kenya has 94 of its 129 species, the East African Coast- 29 out of 38 species, the large Afrotropical-70 out of 226 species, and the small Lake Victoria Basin- 9 out of 12 species. The easternmost outliers of Guinea-Congo Forests biome also occurs in Kenya- 43 out of 277 species, along with a small portion of Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome-13 out of 55 species.

Giant Kingfisher

Birding in Kenya – Many sites in Kenya are essential for congregatory birds. The coast, with its creeks, reefs and beaches, is a major flyway for migratory waterfowl from the Palearctic, as is the chain of lakes stretching along the rift valley from Turkana in the north to Magadi in the south. The rift’s alkaline lakes also provide periodic feeding stations for enormous numbers of Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor. Several small coral islands off the coast shelter essential breeding colonies of Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii and other seabirds.

Birding in Kenya – Best Bird Watching Time
For incredible numbers, the best time is between October and April when more than 120 migrant species have arrived from the Northern hemisphere, mostly from the Palearctic but with some African migrants such as Forbes-Watson’s Swift; there is also the chance of finding one of the passage migrants such as the Sooty Falcon in March-April and October-December. The coast is particularly useful during this period with large flocks of waterfowl congregating at Mida Creek and Sabaki Estuary, while The Rift Valley lakes and Amboseli attract a lot of northern waterfowl.
Birding in Kenya – From April to October the Northern Migrants are replaced by birds from the southern hemisphere and Madagascar, but these are much fewer, no more than 10 or 12 species. It is, however, the time when many of the birds are in breeding plumage following the long rains, which makes species such as the various weavers much easier as well as much more colourful. This is also the best time of the year for game viewing. In July and August, the enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra enter the Maasai Mara and provide spectacular game watching. This also makes vultures sightings much easier due to the large numbers of mammals that never survive the migration. The Mara River regularly collects mixed flocks of vultures and Marabou Storks feeding on the animals that failed to cross the river. There are usually whole numbers of crocs as well!
Birding in Kenya – Another to put in mind is the weather; Kenya is characterised by two seasons- wet and dry. Aside from the apparent disadvantages of trying to peer through binoculars in a tropical storm, the rainy seasons can leave many roads and tracks unusable, especially if you don’t have the advantage of 4WD. This can leave some parks, or parts of some parks, totally unreachable. The long rains are usually between March and June with the highest levels of rainfall in April and May. The short rains start in late October and go through to December. It does, however, vary throughout the country, and Northern Kenya is generally happy for any rain it can get.