Kenya Bird Watching Safari
Kenya bird watching safari is a travel package crafted for bird watching lovers and photographers. Our bird watching safaris incorporates a variety of rich habitats, wilderness and forest where you are bound to encounter both terestial and migratory birds of East Africa.
The birding tour package provides a great bird watching safari experience facilitated by our professional guides
We have a wide range of lodges you can chose from depending on your budget, preference in terms of comfort-ability, location either secluded or close to local communities, tranquillity and social amenities. Our sales personnel come in handy to offer guidance so that you can make the appropriate choice.
Contact us today for a customized Kenya bird watching safari itinerary that can meet your group and individual needs. You can opt to travel using a customized 4×4 safari van or 4×4 land cruiser. Talk to us and begin the journey to your dream Kenyan holiday.
Kenya Bird Watching Safari Itinerary
Nairobi – Masai Mara
A representative from Kenyan epic safaris will meet you at your hotel or pick you up from the airport and after briefing you on what to expect on the Kenya bird watching safari; he or she will introduce you to your safari guide. You will be driven north, a brief stopover at the Great Rift Valley view point. Proceed on arriving Masai Mara in time for lunch.
On arrival You will be assisted to check into your respective rooms. Spend the afternoon at leisure and later head out for a bird watching drive. Masai Mara’s bird population is high. Bird species include Turaco, owls, guinea fowls, rollers, eagles and hawks. Dinner and over night at the Masai Mara Sarova Lodge.
Masai Mara
Full day bird watching safari; on the open plains there is a variety of bustards including the large jacksons bustard. The latter during nuptial display soars high in the air then with rigid wings descends slowly to earth like a prickled balloon.
Ground hornbills are ones of the most spectacled birds of the open plains & more easily seen in the Mara than elsewhere in Kenya birds of prey are abundant and no less than 53 different species have so far been discovered, secretary birds are a common sight as they stalk sedately over the grasslands, and in the sky there are always vultures and that effortless flier the batelour. Dinner and overnight at the Masai Mara Sarova Lodge.
Masai Mara – Lake Naivasha
After breakfast depart and head to lake Naivasha which is a bird watcher’s paradise, water birds exist in great variety and abundance.
Fish eagles and ospreys are residents. Herons, egrets, red knobbed coots, black cracks are common African marsh harriers and the three migrant harriers are often seen sailing just above the reed bed’s hunting the little tree frogs which form the bulk of the diet.
Some 13 km south of lake Naivasha are the towering cliffs of the Hell’s Gate home to the Larmmergeys, several verreaux’s eagles, colonies of ruppel’s vultures and other notable birds. Dinner and over night at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge.
Lake Naivasha – Lake Nakuru
After breakfast, explore the rich bird filled gardens or an optional boat ride to the crescent island, then proceed to Lake Nakuru National Park arriving in time for lunch. It is the world’s famous haunt of flamingos.
The landscape is picturesque areas of the sedge marsh and grasslands alternating with rocky cliffs and outcrops, stretches of yellow backed acacia woodland and on the eastern perimeter rocky hillsides covered with forest of grotesque looking euphobia trees all set against a background of hilly broken country.
Both lesser and greater flamingos occur abundantly as non-breeding visitors on Lake Nakuru. There is a great variety of other water birds including two interesting ducks, the cape pigeon a lover of blackish waters, and the stiff tailed maccoa duck, blacksmith plover, spurwing plover, crowned plover, kittliz’s plover, birds of prey includes, lanner, long crested eagle, augur buzzard, red-chested cuckoo, lillac breasted roller, grey headed kisher and bronzy and variable sunbirds. Dinner and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge.
Lake Nakuru – Lake Baringo
After breakfast drive to lake Baringo one of the two fresh water lakes along the Great Rift Valley. Lake Baringo possesses two major ornithological attractions this are goliath herons and verreaux’s eagle the rare brisle starling and hemrich’s hornbill.
Birds generally are abundant in the acacia woodland, which include curly crested helmet shrikes, silverbird, grey silver-headed silverbll, gery-headed bush shrike, northern masked weaver and west Nile red bishop. In the afternoon have an hour- bird watching trip by boat to he Crescent Island and to view hippos too.
At the island you can take excursions at an extra cost like a visit to the Njemps village and dancing or to the local snake farm. Dinner and over night at Samatian island lodge.
Lake Bogoria – Aberdare
After breakfast visit lake Bogoria which is a region of great scenic beauty to the east steep hills descend abruptly to lake shore, whilst along the western shores, which are filter a series of spectacular hot spring. It has an abundance of large concentration of lesser and greater flamingos which often frequent the lake, black necked grebe, fish eagle- spur winged plover, black winged stut to mention a few.
Leave for treetops via Thompson falls to arrive at Aberdare Country Club in time for lunch. Dinner and overnight at the Tree Tops. Game viewing from your room’s balcony where a swampy glade, waterhole and saltlick is the most likely place in Kenya from which to see bongo these large and handsome forest antelopes being frequent visitors.
Aberdare – Samburu
After breakfast depart for Samburu to arrive in time for lunch. Bird life is sparklingly numerous and colourful. There is no difficulty in seeing well over a hundred species of birds in a single day.
Perhaps the most impressive sight is the immense flocks of helmeted and vulturine guinea-fowls which make their way each afternoon to the riverbank to drink, the latter resplent with white-streaked neck and brilliant blue under parts. Dinner and overnight at Samburu Lodge.
Samburu
Pre breakfast, bird watching and game drive is done full day with view of the Masai ostrich, buffalo springs, in the reserve of that name is the drinking place in the dry season for literally thousands of sand grouse and doves in addition to a galaxy of smaller birds the tiny pygmy falcon is common.
The males have blue grey and white the females with mahogany brown mantle. At a distance when perched, high in some acacia tree they distinctively resemble shrikes. the giant eagles the martial eagles is often seen usually perched high on some vantage point alert for dik -dik or guinea fowl. Dinner and overnight at Samburu lodge.
Samburu – Nairobi
After breakfast, have a game drive en route, depart and drive to Nairobi where your Kenya bird watching safari ends, lunch en route arriving late afternoon. Drop off at a hotel in Nairobi or the airport to board a flight to your next destination.
- Transport in a custom safari minibus with pop up roof.
- All park entrance fees.
- Fullboard Accommodation.
- Game drives and other activities as described in the itinerary
- Services of an English speaking driver guide.
- Complimentary Bottled water 1 Litre per person per day.
- All government taxes.
- International airfares.
- All expenditure of personal nature such as telephone calls, hard drinks, soft drinks and laundry.
- Tips.
- Visas
- Travel Insurance.
Parks & Reserves
The world re known masai mara game reserve is a northern extension of the serengeti national park which is located in Tanzania. Masai mara covers an area of 1510km². The masai mara ecosystem is composed of rivers i.e talek river and mara river which are the main water supply for the ecosystem.
The mara river is a huddle to the wildebeest migration as the wildebeests have to cross the river from serengeti most of them perishing in the jaws of crocodiles and big cats. The western part of masai mara lies the siria escarpment, loita plains and the rest is the masai pastoral land.
Lake Naivasha is at the highest elevation of all the Kenyan Rift valley lakes standing at 1,890 metres (6,200 ft). The lake is fed by two river namely malewa and gilgil rivers, and has no visible outlet.
The lake covers an area of 140 km² but this varies annually due to the rainfall. The lake has an average depth of 8 meters and it is a fresh water lake.
Lake Nakuru is one of the alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Nakuru is also known as “Pink Lake” or Africa Bird’s Paradise. The lake is ideally located in central Kenya within Lake Nakuru National park. The park occupies an area of 188 km2 while the lake occupies an area of 62 km2.
The lake is famous for the millions of flamingos that flock the lake although flamingos are unpredictable birds and are not always to be found in the lake is such vast numbers. From a distance i.e. the baboon cliff the lake looks pink in color due to the flamingos.
Lake Baringo is one of the Rift Valley lakes located north of Lake Nakuru, The lake has a surface area of about 130 square kilometres (50 sq miles) and an elevation of about 970 metres (3,180 ft).
The lake is fed by several rivers, El Molo, Perkerra and Ol Arabel, and has no obvious outlet; the waters are assumed to seep through lake sediments into the faulted volcanic bedrock. It is one of the two freshwater lakes in the Rift Valley in Kenya, the other being Lake Naivasha.
Lake Bogoria covers an area of 32 square kilometers (12 sq miles) and lies in a trough below the Ngendelel Escarpment, a sheer wall 600 metres (2,000 ft) high.
The lake is geothermic-ally active on the western shore, with geysers and hot springs. The geologist J.W. Gregory described the lake in 1892 as “the most beautiful view in Africa”. Lake Bogoria was formerly known as Lake Hannington.
The Aberdare National park was established in 1950, it covers an area of 766 square kilometers and is 100 km north of Nairobi.
The park has five entry points depending on where you are coming from, the entry points are Kiandongoro gate, queens gate, east gate, treetops gate, ark gate. The park entry fee is paid using a smart card which can be loaded at the main entry point.
Samburu game reserve is the most popular parks of the northern frontier fauna sanctuaries. The game park occupies an area of 165 km2. The driving distance from Nairobi is 350 km and 65km from Isiolo town to achers post gate.
The park lies on the northern bank of Uaso Nyiro River, the river serves as the only source of water without which the game in the reserve could not survive in the arid country.
- Do not Litter the reserve/park.
- Do not feed the animals, i.e. monkeys or baboons.
- Do give the animals the right of way and do not disturb wildlife.
- Do not take any plant or animals remains, dead or alive.
- Do not start fires or throw cigarettes in the reserve.
- Do stay in your vehicle except at designated viewing points.
- Do not shout, laugh loudly, play radio or cassettes as this will keep away the animals.
- Do not provoke any animals its dangerous.