Kenya has around 1080 recorded bird species. 7 are Kenya endemic birds and a large number is shared with neighboring Somalia, Uganda and Tanzania. Some subspecies are endemic in Kenya or Northeastern Africa. This Kenya endemic birds tour concentrates on Kenya endemic birds and you have the chance to find 4 Kenya endemic birds: Hinde’s Babbler, William’s Lark, Aberdare Cisticola and Sharpe’s Longclaw.

Many species you will look for during this Kenya endemic birds safari 14 days are not easy to trace. We therefore recommend that a professional, local ornithologist will guide you. This increases the number of species you will find drastically. At some places a local birding guide will assist since he lives there and knows the whereabouts of some species.

This Exciting Kenya endemic birds 14 days safari is arranged that you have time to photograph and observe. At the beginning of your endemic birds Kenya birding tour we will give you a bird list of birds recorded in the visited areas. We also gladly assist you in identifying after your tour via e-mail.

Nairobi National Park – the birder’s paradise with over 500 identified species. Several are semi endemic and good to observe here: Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana athi), Kenya rufous Sparrow (Passer rufocinctus), Long-tailed Fiscal (Lanius h. humeralis), Red-throated tit (Parus fringillinus), Northern pied Babbler (Turdoides h. hypoleuca) and many more.

At the water dams you can find Fish Eagle, Open-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, various plovers and waders, Darter, Night Heron, Pink-backed Pelican a.o. At the river often Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Moustached Grass-Warbler (Melocichla mentalis orientalis), Von der Deckens Hornbill, White-bellied Tit, Rueppel’s Starling and others are present.

Grass plains are inhabited by Red-collared Widowbird, Yellow Bishop, African Citril (Serinus citrinelloides kikuyensis), White-bellied Canary, Pin-tailed Whydah, Black-bellied Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Shelley’s Francolin.

Birds of prey are represented by Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle, Black-winged Kite, Yellow-billed Kite, White-backed Vulture, Lapped-faced Vulture and a Greater spotted Eagle keeps on spending the Northern winter here.

Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park is a small volcano near Thika town. Surprisingly some coastal species like Sombre Greenbul, Peter’s Twinspot and Eastern bearded Scrub-Robin reside here. But you also look out for Kikuyu White-eye, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, African Hill Babbler and many more.

Mount Kenya region – it can be a bit cold at the foot of Mount Kenya at night. Some special bird species: White-headed Wood-hoopoe (Phoeniculus bollei jacksoni), Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia kilimensis), Kandt’s Waxbill (Estrilda kandti), Chestnut-throated Apalis (Apalis p. porphyrolaema), Olive-breasted Greenbul (Arizelocichla kikuyuensis), Mountain Yellow Warbler (Iduna similis) and many more.

Aberdare National Park and region – in the various vegetation zones from 1.750 m to 4.001 m 250 bird species have found their niche. Among them the almost endemic birds Jackson’s Francolin and the Kenya endemic birds Aberdare Cisticola. On the grass land on the Southern slope you will search for the Kenya endemic birds Sharpe’s Longclaw (Macronyx or Hemimacronyx sharpei) at the end of your Kenya endemic birds safari tour.

Raptors are represented by Crowned Eagle, Augur Buzzard, Mountain Buzzard, Montagu’s Harrier (migrant), Great Sparrow-Hawk a.o. Due to many Crotalaria, Leonotis and other plants various species of sunbirds are found – Golden-winged Sunbird, Eastern and Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird and Variable Sunbird.

Shaba National Reserve is the largest among the 3 neighbouring reserves – Buffalo Springs and Samburu. In Shaba you will look for the Kenya endemic William’s Lark that is known for loving black lava fields and maybe you are lucky and aso find a Friedmann’s Lark. You will hopefully spot the subspecies north of the equator of the Rosy-patched Bush-shrike (Rhodophonerus cruentus hilgeri) as well as Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Bristle-crowned Starling, Yellow-necked Spurfowl and many others. It is also worth the time walking around in the lodge compound. Easily overlooked is the Brown-tailed Apalis (Apalis viridiceps) which occurs in Northern Kenya and neighbouring countries.

Samburu National Reserve has not only a dream landscape with its hills and Ewaso Nyiro River but is a paradise for birders as well as mammal lovers. Big cats, elephants, Grevy Zebra, Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk and others belong to the mammal attraction.

Martial Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle, Common Kestrel, Lanner Falcon, Eastern Pale Chanting-goshawk, African Hawk-Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture and other raptors can be found. Typical thorn-bush inhabitants are the almost Kenya endemic Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser donaldsoni). Black-capped Social-Weaver (Pseudonigrita cabanisi) and other decorate the trees with their nests. It is a bit of luck to find the Somali Fiscal which is not easy to differentiate from the Taita Fiscal. Special sightings are Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse (Pterocles lichtesteinii
sukensis) and Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus olivascens).

Buff-crested Bustards (Lophotis gindiana) can be well observed in Samburu and so is the Golden-breasted Starling (Lamprotornis regius)
endemic to North-eastern Africa. Somali Bee-eaters are seasonal while the Black-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris n. nectarinioides) is best found in Samburu and Meru National Park.

Suyian Conservancy is situated on the Laikipia Plateau and is nestled in-between rocks, a river and flat plains. You find a number of biotopes like a river, rocks, grassland and dams attracting a large number of
interesting species. You will move by car and on foot.

Black-cheeked Waxbills (Estrilda c. charmosyna) are endemic in North-eastern Africa, Pectoral-patch Cisticola (Cisticola brunnescens hindii), Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps leuconotos), Black-necked Weaver (Ploceus nigricollis melanoxanthus) which is widespread in from Ethiopia to Tanzania but only occurs where Sanseviera plants grow. Fan-tailed Raven, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Grant’s Wood-Hoopoe and more endemic bird species to East or Northern East Africa can be spotted.

Lake Elementaita is a soda lake in the Great Rift Valley. Sentrim Elementaita lodge is built at the lake shore and in the compound acacia and other trees attract a good number of species. Hemprich’s Hornbill, Black-lored Babbler, Little Rock-Thrush and Fischer’s Lovebirds (escaped from cages), Brown Parisoma and many more can be spotted.

The Kinangop Plateau is between West of Aberdare range and the Great Rift Valley. It has good rainfall and therefore a lot of farming and dairy cow keeping is flourishing. But still we have some places inbetween the small rivers and the farms where you can find interesting and special species like the Sharpe’s Longclaw.

Itinerary Exciting endemic birds Kenya 14 days – birder’s dream safari