Mount Kenya covers an Area of 271,000 hactares with an altitude of 1,600 - 5,200 meters. An imposing extinct volcano that dominates the landscape of the Kenyan highlands east of the Rift Valley, Mount Kenya lays 140 kilometers north-north-east of Nairobi, with its northern flanks across the equator. Mount Kenya is an extremely important water catchment area, supplying the Tana and Northern Ewaso Ngiro systems. The mountain's straggly slopes are shrouded in forest, bamboo, scrub and moorland, giving way on the high central peaks to rock, ice and snow.
Mount Kenya has a rich montane bird fauna. It is undoubtedly a stronghold for the threatened and little-known Cinnyricinclus femoralis, even though there are few recent records. Falco naumanni is a passage migrant on the moorland. Euplectes jacksoni can be found in grassland up to 3,000 meters, and Macronyx sharpei is known from the north-west slopes, although its present status is uncertain. Regionally threatened species include Bostrychia olivacea (a scarce resident); Gypaetus barbatus (no recent records, but formerly nested on moorland cliffs); Hieraaetus ayresii (a scarce resident); Stephanoaetus coronatus; Tyto capensis (no recent records); Bubo capensis; Campephaga quiscalina.
Popular Species: Spot-flanked Barbet, Double-toothed Barbet, Mountain Buzzard, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird.
Below is a list of species likely to be encountered on your tour to Mt Kenya; Jackson's Francolin, Moorland Chat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Hartlaub's Turaco, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Black-headed Waxbill, Slender-billed Starling, Waller's Starling, Montane White-eye, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Hunter's Cisticola, and Moorland Francolin, Mountain Buzzard, Violet-backed Starling, Olive Pigeon, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon and Oriole Finch, Meyer's Parrots, African Green Pigeon, Black-and-white Mannikin and Spot-flanked Barbet, Red-fronted Parrot.
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Over 200 bird species have been recorded, including Aviceda cuculoides, Buteo oreophilus, Francolinus jacksoni, F. psilolaemus and Tauraco hartlaubi. Nectarinia johnstoni is found on the high peaks, foraging largely on lobelias, while other montane sunbirds (including Nectarinia tacazze, N. reichenowi, N. famosa and N. mediocris) are common at slightly lower altitudes.
Read MoreSome 244 bird species are known from this Important Birding Area. The area is important as the southern limit of many Sudan - Guinea Savanna biome birds. The most interesting species known from this little explored region is the submontane sunbird Nectarinia preussi of the Afrotropical Highlands biome.
Read MoreAt least 16 bird species occur in Kakamega but nowhere else in Kenya, and another 30 (such as Psittacus erithacus) are probably now confined to this site. The grassy glades have their own distinctive avifauna, with many moist-grassland species that are now rare elsewhere in western Kenya. Regionally threatened species include Circaetus cinerascens (fairly common resident), Hieraaetus ayresii (relatively abundant),
Read MoreThis is probably the world stronghold of Macronyx sharpei, a threatened Kenya bird endemic. The species is confined to grassland, preferring short-grass fields with tussocks, and in good habitat occurs at densities of 0.8 individuals/ hactares. Cisticola aberdare is thought to occur in the higher parts of the plateau, close to the Aberdare mountains,
Read MoreLake Elementeita is home to 13 globally threatened bird species and some of the highest bird diversities in the world. Due to the assemblage of various birds of conservation concern, such as the threatened, range-restricted Grey-crested Helmet-shrike nearly threatened which occurs in the surrounding woodland where it may be resident.
Read MoreBird life is concentrated at the lagoons. Phoenicopterus minor is often present in internationally important numbers though Magadi is a much less significant feeding site for this species than Bogoria or Nakuru.
Read MoreLake Naivasha and its surrounding harbour numerous bird species that include kingfishers, pelicans, great cormorants, fish Eagles, Pelicans, Grey-backed fiscal, hawks, cuckoos, woodpeckers, shrikes, Cape Teal, Pied Avocet, Black Heron, Goliath Heron, Maccoa Duck, Great White Pelican, Common Greenshank, Ruff, Green Sandpiper, Hilderbrandt's Francolin, Arrow-marked Babbler, African Fish Eagle.
Read MoreThe lake is internationally famous for its populations of Phoenicopterus minor; numbers can reach 1.5 million at times, though drastic and unpredictable fluctuations occur. Undoubtedly Nakuru is a very important feeding site for this species; attempts by flamingos to breed here have not been successful.
Read MoreTurkana is an extremely important waterbird site: 84 water bird species, including 34 Palearctic migrants, have been recorded here. Over 100,000 Calidris minuta may winter, representing more than 10% of the entire East African/South East Asian wintering population.
Read MoreThe Mara's extensive grasslands are a stronghold for the threatened, migratory Crex crex and the near threatened, restricted-range Euplectes jacksoni. The woodlands around the reserve are probably the centre of abundance for the threatened, restricted-range Prionops poliolophus.
Read MoreA number of regional endemics occur such as Tauraco hartlaubi and the restricted-range Cisticola hunteri and Francolinus jacksoni. Regionally threatened species include Hieraaetus ayresii (scarce and local), Stephanoaetus coronatus (resident in small numbers), Tyto capensis (no recent records), Bubo capensis, Glaucidium tephronotum (fairly common), Indicator exilis, Sheppardia polioptera (uncommon and local), and Campephaga quiscalina (uncommon resident).
Read MoreKey species here include Macronyx sharpei and Cisticola aberdare both known to occur, but their current status and distribution within the Important Bird Area are unknown. Falco naumanni is a formerly regular Palearctic passage migrant, and Gallinago media is an uncommon Palearctic winter visitor.
Read MoreMeru offers good bird watching throughout the year, but the best time is from November to April when the migrants from Europe and North Africa are present. This coincides with the breeding season when many species are nesting. Although good for birding, April tends to be very wet and is a less productive time for wildlife viewing.
Read MoreMount Elgon National Park is home to 305 species of birds most of which are only found, Jackson's and Moorland Francolins, endemic to Kenya, Hartlaub's Turaco, Black-collared Apalis, and Streaky-headed Seedeater.
Read MoreNairobi National Park is an important roosting site for Falco naumanni flocks on passage (up to 5,000 have been recorded), although numbers have declined markedly in recent years. The substantial area of undisturbed grassland is of great importance for species such as the restricted-range Euplectes jacksoni, which breeds here regularly after good rains
Read MoreRuma National Park is a birding destination with over 400 species of birds recorded in the park, making it an important bird area, the rare intra African migrant, the blue swallow is one such avian species.
Read MoreSaiwa National Park Birds include, Dwarf Bittern, Western Reef Heron, Goliath Heron, African Fish Eagle, African Marsh Harrier, Bat Hawk, Wahlberg's Eagle, Allen's Gallinule, African Green Pigeon, Ross's Turaco, Blue-headed Coucal, Narina Trogon, Abyssinian Roller, Mustached Green Tinkerbird, Slender-billed Greenbul, Grey-winged Robin-Chat, African Thrush, White-browed Crombec, Black-throated Apalis, Black-throated Wattle-eye, African Blue Flycatcher, Brown Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Shrike, Marsh Tchagra, Bronze Starling, Heuglin's Masked Weaver, Hartlaub's Marsh Widowbird Black-bellied Seedcracker
Read MoreTsavo East National Park is the one of the best birding safari destination in Kenya and the entire East African region. It has many dry- country specials which are easy to spot, including the bravura golden- breasted, golden pipit and the Vulturine Guinea fowl. The park is also south most known for the Somali ostrich.
Read MoreTsavo West has a rich avifauna. The enigmatic, Near Threatened Mirafra pulpa has been recorded singing and displaying in years of good rains, and presumably nests here. Tsavo West forms part of a corridor of natural habitat in eastern Kenya through which vast numbers of Palearctic birds migrate, especially in November and December.
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