13-Day Kenya Birding Tour – Itinerary details

Small groups of 2-6participants sharing accommodation

Day 1: Arrivals in Nairobi City at Kilimanjaro International Airport

Arrivals at Jomo Kinyatta International Airport in Nairobi City. Pick up by your driver guide and transfer to your hotel for refreshments, check-in and overnight stay. Early arrivals will give a chance for an optional birding in the Karura forest in Nairobi City.

Karura Forest is an urban forest located north of central Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, gazetted in 1932 and is run by the Kenya Forest Service in partnership with the Friends of Karura Forest. It provides a quiet and tranquil environment that inhabits more than 200 bird species and several Monkey species, Bushbaby, Bushbuck, Bushpig, Porcupine, Duiker, Genet, and Suni. Possible bird encounters include Mountain Wagtail, Yellow Bishop, spectacled weaver, Singing Cisticola, African Goshawk, African Crowned Eagle, Brown-chested Alethe, Narina Trogon, White-backed Duck, Malachite Kingfisher, Hartlaub’s Turaco, White-headed Barbet, Slender-billed Greenbul, African Black Duck, African Emerald Cuckoo and Red-chested Flufftail.

Fairview Hotel B&B (Mid-range comfort level)

Day 2: Birding to Mt Kenya

Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa with a snow-capped peak rising to 17,100ft above sea level. En-route we may have a stop near the Tana River to search for the elusive Hinde’s Babbler, Sombre Greenbul, White-headed Saw-wing and Giant Kingfisher. We shall also a hot lunch stop at Sagana Gateway Resort where we have another chance to look for Hinde’s Babbler at Camp Malta then proceed to Castle Forest Lodge for evening birding around Lodge. We look out for Yellow-whiskered greenbul, Placid, Grey-olive and Slender-billed Greenbul, Moustached and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds as well as Northern Double-collared Sunbird. Brown-capped Weaver and Western Citril, Black-fronted Bush-shrike, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Black-throated, Chestnut-throated and Grey Apalises, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Lemon Dove, African Emerald Cuckoo, Crowned & Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, Red-fronted Parrot, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher and Yellow-bellied Waxbill, may also be seen here.

Overnight: Castle Forest Lodge FB (Alternatively, we stay in Naru Moru bird around the lodge this afternoon and bird to Mt. Kenya National Park the next day)

Day 3: Whole day birding in the lower slopes of the forest in Mount Kenya

We shall have the opportunity of birding rich highland forest and species we will look for include the Crowned Eagle Mountain Buzzard, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Moustached and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds, Black-throated, Chestnut-throated and Grey Apalises, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Oriole, Olive-breasted, Yellow-whiskered and Slender-billed Greenbuls, Grey Cuckooshrike, Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Brown Woodland Warbler, Slender-billed and Waller’s Starlings, White-starred Robin, Rüppell’s Robin-Chat, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Kikuyu White-eye, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Brown-capped Weaver, Thick-billed Seedeater, Kandt’s Waxbill and Red-backed Mannikin, Oriole Finch, etc.

Overnight: Castle Forest Lodge

Day 4: Birding to Shaba and Buffalo Springs National Reserve

Shaba is known as one of the most scenically attractive reserves in Kenya, and together with neighbouring Buffalo Springs boasts a unique collection of game only found in this region, including Reticulated Giraffe, the attractive Grevy’s Zebra, Lesser Kudu, giraffe-necked Gerenuk and Beisa Oryx. These reserves consist of rugged mountains, Acacia woodland and inhospitable lava plains dissected by strips of verdant riverine vegetation along the Ewaso Nyiro River, while isolated springs away from the river provide much needed water for the areas’ faunal inhabitants. We shall spend our afternoon here.

Overnight: Lion’s Cave Camp FB (Mid-range comfort Level)

Day 5: Bird to Buffalo Springs or/and Samburu Reserve

Some special birds that we will search for through the desolate but beautiful semi-desert scrub and riverine vegetation include Somali Ostrich, Vulturine Guineafowl, Somali Courser, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, White-throated and Somali Bee-eaters, Grant’s Wood Hoopoe, Nyanza Swift, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Greater Honeyguide, Black-throated Barbet, Red-winged, Pink-breasted and Williams’s Larks, Ashy Cisticola, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Northern Crombec, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Grey Wren-Warbler, the strange scrub-dwelling Red-fronted Warbler, Rufous Chatterer, Pygmy Batis, Acacia Tit, Northern Puffback, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Golden-breasted and Bristle-crowned Starlings, Golden Pipit, Black-bellied and Hunter’s Sunbirds, Straw-tailed Whydah, Black-capped Social Weaver, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver, Golden Palm Weaver, Chestnut Weaver, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, African Silverbill, Cut-throat Finch, Parrot-billed Sparrow and Somali Bunting.

Overnight: Lions Cave Camp

Day 6: Birding to Nakuru National Park

After an early breakfast, we will move onwards towards Lake Nakuru National Park in the Great Rift Valley. Originally declared a national park because of its vast flamingo population, Lake Nakuru is also known for supporting populations of both species of African rhinoceros. The levels of the blue-green alkaline waters of the lake vary annually and this, with other accompanying environmental changes, causes considerable variation in the flamingo population. However, when they are present in masses, the lake turns rosy pink and the Lesser Flamingos usually form a “pink wall” along the entire length of the lake. We arrive late in the afternoon here and bird the rest of the evening.

Overnight: Lake Nakuru Resort and Spa or Eagle’s Palace FB

Day 7: Whole day birding Lake Nakuru National Park

African Buffalo, Common Zebra, glamorous Rothschild’s Giraffe, several antelope species and Lion and Leopard may be found. Besides the flamingos, other water birds include African Great White Pelican, cormorants, egrets, herons, ibises, ducks, African Spoonbill, and African Fish Eagle. Other species we may encounter include Coqui and Hildebrandt’s Francolins, White-fronted Bee-eater, Green Wood Hoopoe, Red-throated Wryneck, Red-rumped and Mosque Swallows, Mocking Cliff Chat, Little Rock Thrush, Arrow-marked Babbler, the scarce Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Rüppell’s Starling and Speke’s Weaver.

Overnight: Lake Nakuru Resort and Spa or Eagle’s Palace Nakuru FB

Day 8: Early Morning transfer to Lake Baringo for birding

We shall spend the whole afternoon birding the trachyte cliffs of Lake Baringo. Along the cliffs, there are chances of a species or two of the owls namely Northern White-faced Scops Owl, Greyish Eagle-Owl, African Scops Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, African Scops Owl.

Overnight: Sandai Resort FB – (Budget comfort level)

Day 9: Full day birding in Lake Baringo

We do an early morning boat ride along the Lake and thereafter spend the rest of the day on a birding drive / walk. Along the lake, we expect flamingos, other water birds include African Great White Pelican, cormorants, egrets, herons, ibises, ducks, African Spoonbill, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher plus many others. Some of the target species for this area include Hemprich’s Hornbill, Jackson Hornbill, Bristle-crowned Starling, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Fox Kestrel, Somali Fiscal, Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit, Somali Tit, Fan-tailed Raven, Brown Babbler, Parrot-billed Sparrow, and White-billed Buffalo Weaver. Little Weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, Northern Red Bishop, Crimson-rumped Waxbill, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Cut-throat Finch, Heuglin’s Courser, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Star-spotted Nightjar and Verreaux’s Eagle.

Overnight: Sandai Resort FB

Day 10: Birding to Kakamega Forest

Chances of birding along the Lodge gardens in the evening/afternoon at Rondo Retreat Centre. Rondo Retreat Centre’s gardens create a serene and tranquil environment for bird lovers mostly. The forested area around the lodge consists of over 35 species of birds of which can also be found in Kakamega forest. Look out for Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Great Blue Turaco, African Green Pigeon, White-spotted Flufftail, Black-throated Apalis, African Crowned Eagle plus many others.

Overnight: Rondo Retreat or Golf Course Hotel Kakamega HB (Mid-range comfort level)

Day 11: Full day birding in Kakamega Forest

We look out for special birds here including White-tailed Ant-thrush, Black-faced rufous Warbler, yellow-crested/golden-crowned woodpecker, Equatorial Akalat, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Kakamega Greenbul, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Honeyguide Greenbul, Black-billed Turaco, Least Honeyguide, Red-headed Bluebill, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, White-browed Crombec, Chapins Flycatcher etc

Overnight: Rondo retreat Centre or Golf Course Hotel Kakamega HB

Day 12: Birding from Kakamega to Kisumu – Hippo point along Lake Victoria

Travel from Kakamega to Kisumu and go direct to Hippo Point, at the bridge. Look for Papyrus Gonolek, Double-toothed Barbet, Carruthers’s Cisticola, Greater Swamp warbler, Bank Swallow, Swamp Flycatcher, Golden Backed weaver, Papyrus Canary, Little weaver, etc. Later after here drive to Naivasha for late afternoon birding or Boat ride in Lake Naivasha.

Overnight: Dove Nest Lodge B&B

Day 13: Birding to Kinangop grasslands and later drive to Nairobi to departure.

The Kinangop Plateau is home to the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw and near-endemic Jackson’s widowbird. Some of the other highlights include Lesser Jacana, Long-tailed Widowbird, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Mountain Buzzard, Moorland Chat, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Northern Ant-eater Chat, Malachite Sunbird, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, and Yellow-crowned Canary. African Snipe, African Stonechat, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Golden-winged Sunbird.