10 Days Birding Tour in Kenya

10 Days Birding Tour in Kenya

The 10 days Birding Tour in Kenya comprises a diverse range of habitats that support a great diversity of bird species – and makes a bird watching holiday in Kenya very rewarding! From the world’s biggest bird, the Ostrich, to spectacular flamingos that congregate in their millions at the various Lakes of the Great Rift Valley and camouflage them in pink, Kenya holds some remarkable birding sights that you have to see them to believe. With eleven percent of the world’s species – some 1089 different varieties, Kenya’s birding is one of the best in the world. It is not unusual for birding trips to record 300-600 different varieties on a short trip or to record more than 120 at a particular site on a single day.

The best time for this Birding Tour in Kenya trip: The rainy seasons of April and November coincide with the migration of birds from and to Europe and Asia, and some of the top day’s totals have been recorded at that time.

Safari highlights 

• Lake Naivasha with its vast numbers of hippos and flamingos. 
• Crescent island sanctuary 
• Lake Elementaita for flamingo viewing
• Lake Nakuru famed for its vast numbers of flamingos 
• Lake Baringo 
• Kakamega Forest 
• Lake Victoria  and Kisumu Impala Sanctuary 

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi-Lake Naivasha

Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport, you will be welcomed by your tour guide and thereafter proceed for an hour’s drive to Lake Naivasha. Check-in the hotel then take a boat ride on Lake Naivasha to Crescent island sanctuary for a game walk on the island. Crescent Island, a peninsula on the eastern shore of Lake Naivasha, is a privately owned game sanctuary that hosts giraffes, waterbucks, elands, zebras, and impalas. 

Alternatively, you may decide to have a birdwatching session at Lake Naivasha, a bird watcher’s paradise. Take a tour at Lake Elementaita for flamingo viewing and other birdlife that includes Black Crakes and African Jacanas, kingfishers, African Fish Eagle, Grebes, Pink-backed Pelican, Long-tailed Cormorant, herons, egrets, ibis, and lapwings. There are also rare ones such as Black Heron, Lesser Moorhen, and Greater Painted Snipe. Accommodation and meals at Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp B-L-D

Day  2: Lake Naivasha – Lake Nakuru Nature walk and Game drive

After breakfast, take a nature walk around Lake Naivasha. The acacia trees support several land species such as Cuckoo, beet eaters, Wood Hoopoes, hornbills, barbets, honeyguides, woodpeckers, shrikes, chats, warblers, whydahs, babblers, and weavers. In the dense papyrus swamps, we may see secretive species such as Lesser Swamp Warbler, Purple Heron, and Little Bittern.

From Naivasha, we take a short drive to another Rift Valley lake and ornithologist’s paradise, Lake Nakuru. Lunch then afternoon game drive in search of black and white rhinos, cape buffalos, waterbucks, zebras, giraffes among others.  Accommodation and meals at  Lake Nakuru Lodge B-L-D 

Day 3: Lake Nakuru – Bird watching

Breakfast and spend the day within the Lake Nakuru Ramsar site that boosts up to 450 species.  Five globally threatened species have been recorded here, namely Greater Spotted Eagle, Madagascar Pond-Heron, Lesser Flamingo, Pallid Harrier, and the Grey-crested Helmet-shrike.  Look out for other water birds such as White Pelicans, Egyptian Goose, Cape Teal, African Spoonbill, Sacred Ibis, Yellow-billed Stork, Pied Avocet, Kittlitz’s Sand-Plover, and Grey-headed Gull among others.

Apart from the water birds, the extensive acacia woodlands support a rich and varied avifauna that includes eagles, francolins, cuckoos, woodpeckers, flycatchers, shrikes, babblers among others.  Accommodation and meals at Lake Nakuru Lodge B-L-D

Day 4: Lake Nakuru – Lake Baringo

After breakfast, drive up the Great Rift Valley to Lake Baringo. Lake Baringo area has a rich avifauna of about 500 bird species and is surrounded by cliff-edged escarpments. After check-in at the camp, head out for a birding session. Look out for the two endemic species, the Northern Masked Weaver and the Orange Bishop. Other birdlife includes Eastern violet-backed sunbird, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Jackson Hornbill, White-crested Turaco, Verreaux’s Eagle, Bristle-crowned Starling, Three-streaked Tchagra, Goliath Heron, and Pygmy Batis among others. You will have lunch in between the birding session.  Accommodation and meals  at  Soi Safari Lodge B-L-D 

Day 5: Lake Baringo – Birding Full Day

Spend the whole Birding Tour in Kenya day birding around Lake Baringo.  The lake has four globally threatened species namely; Lesser Flamingo, Pallid Harrier, Madagascar Pond-Heron, and the Lesser Kestrel.  After a morning birding nature walks,  we take a boat trip to watch water birds which are very common including Goliath Heron, Purple, and Squacco Herons, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Intermediate Egret, Hammerkop, Marabou Stork, Allen’s Gallinule, and Collared Pratincole.

The acacia woodlands and scrub harbor several bush birds such as Gabar Goshawk, White-browed Coucal, Mousebirds, kingfishers, Rollers, hornbills, barbets, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Lesser Honeyguide, sunbirds, etc. In the nearby cliffs. Look out for the Verreaux’s Eagle, Fan-tailed Raven, Cliff chat, and the rare Bristlecrowned Starling. Accommodation and meals  at  Soi Safari Lodge B-L-D 

Day  6: Lake Baringo – Kakamega Forest

Depart Lake Baringo and thereafter head to western Kenya, to Kakamega rainforest which is one of the hot spots for bird watching in Kenya. Kakamega Forest National Reserve has been designated an Important Bird Area and supports more than 360 species of birds. You may decide to relax at the camp or take a nature walk that takes you to the top of Lirhanda Hill, where you can watch the sunset.  Accommodation and meals at Rondo Retreat Centre B-L-D.

Day 7: Birding in Kakamega Forest 

Breakfast and then spend the day at the forest bird watching. This rain forest is a remnant of the original Congo forest that stretched all the way from Central to East Africa and as such has a large number of colorful and varied birds typical of Central Africa. Look out for the Banded Snake-Eagle, Blue-spotted Wood-Dove; Tambourine Dove; Great Blue Turaco, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellowbill, Bar-tailed Trogon, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Western Black-headed Oriole, White-spotted Flufftail, the Ansorge’s, Slender-billed, Joyful and Shelley’s Greenbuls Red-headed Bluebill, Yellow-throated Leaf-love, White-headed Wood-Hoopoe; Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill,  Pink-footed Puffback, Square-tailed Drongo and Stuhlmann’s Starling.  Accommodation and meals at  Rondo Retreat Centre B-L-D

Day 8: Kakamega to Lake Victoria

After breakfast, head for a nature walk and thereafter to the lakeside city of Kisumu for lunch. Head out for Dunga swamp, an Important Bird Area, in search of the globally threatened Papyrus Gonolek and the Papyrus Yellow Warbler. Look out for the Black-rumped and Black-faced Waxbills, Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Parasitic Weaver, Brimstone Canary, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Red-headed Lovebird, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Bronze Mannikin, Purple-b Green Crombec, Marsh Tchagra, Black-billed Barbet, the Little, cattle and Great Egrets, Yellow-backed Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, African Pygmy, and Malachite Kingfishers, Swamp Flycatcher. Accommodation and meals at Impala Eco-lodge B-L-D

Day 9:  Birding in Lake Victoria and Kisumu Impala Sanctuary 

After breakfast, head out to the shore of Lake Victoria for a nature walk in the Kisumu Impala Sanctuary. The sanctuary hosts over 115 bird species. Explore the Dunga swamp, an Important Bird Area, we search for the globally threatened Papyrus Gonolek alongside the Parasitic Weaver, Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Green Crombec, Marsh Tchagra, Black-billed Barbet, the Little, cattle and Great Egrets, Brimstone Canary, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Red-headed Lovebird, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Bronze Mannikin, Purple-banded and Superb Sunbirds, Black-rumped and Black-faced Waxbills.   

Look out for the impalas, the rare Sitatunga antelope as well as big cats, buffalos, giraffes, cheetahs, and several primate species. The sanctuary is also home to five campsites all with spectacular views of Lake Victoria. Return to the lodge for lunch. Accommodation and Meals at Impala Eco-lodge B-L-D

Day 10: Nairobi

After breakfast, transfer back to Nairobi onward to the airport for your departure flight.

INCLUDED IN PACKAGE

• Ground transportation in a safari customized 4WD with gasoline/fuel,
• Mineral water in the vehicle,
• Services of an English speaking Driver/guide,
• Accommodation as shown at the lodges mentioned in the itinerary,
• Meals as shown (B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner),
• All Park Entrance Fees

EXCLUDED IN PACKAGE

• International Airfares; Excess baggage charges;
• Ugandan Entry Visa Fees
• International travel Vaccinations and Inoculations;
• Items of personal nature such us Room service,
• Beverages, Communications charges (telephone, fax, internet), Laundry, etc.;
• Postage fees, Porterage fees, Tips and Gratuities for your Driver/guide and Hotels staff,
• Shopping charges for Curios and Crafts,
• International Airport Departure Taxes,
• Optional activities unless specified as included,
• Any other services not expressly shown in the itinerary or indicated as included.

End of the 10 days Birding Tour in Kenya.

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