This national park covers an area of 1,175,000 hactares with an Altitude of 300 - 910 meters. This vast savanna National Park lies in low, semi-arid country at the eastern edge of the inland plateau, north of the main Mombasa - Nairobi road and railway. Much of the park is level, open country, with scattered rocky outcrops. The Yatta Plateau, a long, flat-topped lava ridge, runs along the western boundary and beneath flows the Athi River, this joins the Tsavo River to become the Galana River, a permanent stream that cuts right across the park. The seasonal Tiva and Voi rivers are important features of the northern and southern sectors, respectively.

Along the rivers is a narrow fringe of woodland and thicket, dominated by Acacia elatior, the Doum palm Hyphaene compressa and the shrub Suaeda monoica. The northern part of the park is predominantly more-or-less dense Acacia - Commiphora woodland. South of the Galana, this has been opened out over the years by fire and elephants to form open bushed grassland. Common shrubs here include species of Premna, Bauhinia and Sericocomopsis, and scattered trees such as Delonix elata and Melia volkensii. The Yatta Plateau has a cover of dense bushland, with stands of baobab Adansonia digitata. There are scattered seasonal pools, swamps and dams, but relatively few sources of permanent water. The vegetation is generally denser in the west, where rainfall is c.450 milimeters per year, than in the drier east, which may receive only 250 milimeters.

The enigmatic, Near Threatened Mirafra pulpa probably nests here, with birds recorded singing and displaying in open bushed grassland near Voi Safari Lodge in 1976 - 1977. The park's huge area of natural habitat supports important populations of resident species, and is also a very significant stopover and wintering ground for Palearctic migrants. Falco naumanni is one such (regular but uncommon) visitor from December to March. There is likely to be a substantial passage of Acrocephalus griseldis from the Middle East, judging from birds ringed further south in Tsavo West National Park, some birds overwinter. Regionally threatened species in Tsavo East include Anhinga rufa (occasional visitor), Casmerodius albus (regular visitor), Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis (regular), Trigonoceps occipitalis (resident in small numbers), Polemaetus bellicosus (a stronghold, although the total numbers may be small as home ranges cover a great area), Podica senegalensis, and Phoeniculus granti (uncommon).

Tsavo 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. Other bird species includes the Somalia bee-eater, Taita falcon, Slender-tailed nightjar, Rufous chatter, Red-bellied parrot, Northern brownbul, Pamngani long claw, Martial eagle, Lesser ketrel, Africa Fin foot, Fisher's starling and among so many bird species in the park. The migratory bird species are also found in Tsavo East National park these birds come during the breeding time in the months of March, May as well as November. The coastal birds visit the park at that time of the year. The other birds are the European migratory that come around the same time.