Having had good luck using local birding tour operators and guides in other parts of the world, we decided to employ the same strategy for a trip to Kenya, and thus arranged a 3-week birding safari with Birdwatching East Africa (www.birdwatchingeastafrica.com). This Nairobi-based company is a one-man operation run by Chege Kariuki, who simultaneously wears the hats of bird guide, driver, and tour manager. Chege is an excellent birder who sits on the Kenya Bird Records Committee and works for the National Museum’s Kenya Birdfinder database project when he’s not running custom birding safaris for serious birders. He owns a well-worn 4-wheel drive safari van that seats 6, with rooftop hatches for easy wildlife viewing. This van was an impressively powerful vehicle that got us over some rough and muddy terrain we would have sworn would be impassable. (The van was also the source of considerable woe, however, as we endured a number of mechanical breakdowns in the course of driving >4000 km on roads that were generally atrocious.) In 21 days we covered most of the southern half of the country from the coast to the Ugandan border, including the Nairobi area, Samburu, Mt. Kenya, Lakes Nakuru and Baringo, Kakamega Forest, Lake Victoria, the Masai Mara, Tsavo and the Malindi coast. Most of our accommodations were fairly high-end lodges within the national parks, or other hotels commonly frequented by birding groups (for instance the Lake Baringo Club and the Rondo Retreat Center in Kakamega). While on the coast, however, we stayed at a small, private research station in Watamu, a place we greatly enjoyed. The trip cost us $4000/person plus incidentals and airfare (approx. $1700 r.t. Los Angeles to Nairobi), more than the price of a standard, group wildlife safari, but barely half the fare charged by many American and English birding tour companies for a comparable itinerary.
We were constrained by a combination of Chege’s schedule and our own to visiting Kenya between mid-May and early June, and worried in advance that we might encounter bad weather since this would still be the end of the wet season. These fears proved unfounded, and apart from several late-afternoon thunderstorms we had very pleasant and dry weather throughout the trip. Our birding success was, however, impacted by the drought which Kenya had been suffering for several years. Although this wet season had been a good one, birds had not yet returned to some of the wetlands that had until recently been dry, and the water level at Lake Victoria was still low enough to make birding the papyrus beds a challenge. In addition, many birds had apparently dispersed following the recent rains, and bird activity was uncharacteristically low (we were told) in some areas as a result. Nonetheless we managed to see 553 species in 21 days, a total that would have been even higher had we not missed visiting several sites due to vehicle breakdowns. Although Chege did an admirable job of keeping us on schedule despite these setbacks, we were disappointed that we didn’t get to the Met Station at Mt. Kenya and to have our time at Lake Nakuru cut short as a result of engine trouble. We’ll just have to return!
Sunday 14 May: Nairobi
Our flight from Amsterdam arrived into Jomo Kenyatta International airport at 6:30 am, and although we were not formally scheduled to begin birding until the following day, Chege was there to meet us. He had made reservations for us at the Boulevard Hotel, a relatively small establishment in a birdy location adjacent to the forested grounds of the National Museum. Upon arrival we birded the hotel grounds for about an hour before we checked in and Chege left us for the day. Between naps we continued to explore the grounds and to watch for birds from our room’s balcony. In the course of the day we managed to see about 33 species, including Tawny Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, White-headed Barbet, Singing Cisticola, Grey-capped Warbler, White-bellied Tit, Green-headed and Northern Double-collared Sunbirds, Grosbeak Weaver, Holub’s Golden Weaver, and, along the river behind the hotel, Giant Kingfisher and Mountain Wagtail. Chege returned at 4 pm to take us on a short walk in the Nairobi Arboretum. Unfortunately, the light rain that began as we left the hotel had turned into a torrential downpour by the time we reached the Arboretum, and we had no choice but to abort the expedition. An inauspicious start to our trip!
Monday 15 May: Nairobi NP
We left the hotel shortly after dawn and drove the short distance to Nairobi NP, which is just outside the city limits. Before entering the park we spent about an hour birding on foot around the Visitor’s Center parking lot, where we found Red-chested Cuckoo, Cape Robin-Chat, Red-faced Crombec, Abyssinian White-eye, Chinspot Batis, Black-backed Puffback, and had a pair of Great Sparrowhawks fly over. We then drove into the park and spent the day exploring the wide variety of habitats encompassed by this relatively small area. By the end of the day we had racked up a list of 126 species, a total we thought was pretty impressive until Chege told us he had seen 157 species on one day a few weeks earlier. Highlights included our first Common Ostriches and Secretary Birds, close looks at perched pairs of African Crowned Eagles and Lappet-faced Vultures, Helmeted Guineafowl, Yellow-throated Spurfowl, Black-bellied Bustard, Tambourine Dove, Grey and Brown-backed Woodpeckers, Northern Pied Babbler, Long-tailed Fiscal, Yellow-throated, Pangani and Rosy-breasted Longclaws, Red-throated Tit, White-tailed and Fawn-colored Larks, Speke’s Weaver, displaying male Red-collared and White-winged Widowbirds, Cardinal Quelea, Golden-breasted Bunting, good looks at tiny Quailfinch in the road, Abyssinian Scimitarbills and nesting Violet Wood-Hoopoes at the Hippo Pools, and a pair of Shelley’s Francolin in the road at dusk. Unfortunately we missed a number of the cisticolas we could have seen (9 species are possible in the park), but did find Singing, Winding, Stout, Rattling and Siffling Cisticolas. Although relatively few mammals were present at this time of year, we also saw our first Masai Giraffes, Impala, Buffalo and Kongoni. Upon our return to Nairobi we transferred to the more centrally located Panafric Hotel, where we would spend two nights.
Tuesday 16 May: Gatamaiyu Forest and Kinangop Plateau
Today was spent exploring an area of the central highlands somewhat northwest of Nairobi. Our first stop was Gatamaiyu, a small, protected remnant of highland forest. On the drive in we passed numerous tea plantations, and stopped along the roadside for Hunter’s Cisticola, African Stonechat, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Montane Oriole and Yellow-crowned Canary. We were also treated to terrific scope views of a Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk perched conspicuously on a dead snag. As we got nearer to the forest and the road got rougher and muddier, the van began to stall repeatedly, each time threatening not to start again. We stuttered on to the end of the road and start of the forest track, wondering if we were going to end up stranded indefinitely in this remote area. Fortunately, Chege’s inspection of the engine turned up a frayed wire that was causing an intermittent short, and a piece of plastic tape solved the problem. Little did we know that this was only the first and least of the vehicle problems we would have! We spent several hours walking the forest track, getting good looks at Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Mountain, Yellow-whiskered and Cabanis’s Greenbuls, White-starred Robin, Rueppell’s Robin-Chat, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, White-browed Crombec, Black-throated, Chestnut-throated and Grey Apalis, Montane White-eye, African Hill Babbler, an elusive Black-fronted Bush-Shrike, Brown Woodland-Warbler, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Thick-billed Seedeater, Yellow-bellied Waxbills building a nest, and a very cooperative Bar-tailed Trogon. After a picnic lunch we drove further north to the grasslands of the Kinangop Plateau, where we found the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw, along with Capped Wheatear, Black-winged Lapwing and Cape Rook. On our way back to Nairobi in the late afternoon we stopped at Manguo Pond, a regular spot for White-backed and Maccoa Ducks. The pond had only recently refilled after having been dry during the drought, however, and very few waterbirds were present. We did find one female Maccoa Duck, along with a few Red-billed Teal, Yellow-billed Ducks, Red-knobbed Coot, and several Whiskered Terns.
Wednesday 17 May: Nairobi to Samburu via Thika
We left Nairobi before sunrise, arriving at the Blue Post Hotel in Thika while it was still early. A walk along the river below roaring Thika Falls produced African Pygmy Kingfisher, Grey-Olive Greenbul, Red-faced Cisticola, Lesser Honeyguide, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, and a wary troop of Sykes Monkeys. Around the hotel grounds we found African Green Pigeon, Spot-flanked Barbet, Eastern Honeybird, Amethyst Sunbird, and watched a pair of Bronze Sunbirds trying doggedly to evict their “rivals” from a car mirror in the parking lot! After a cup of tea within view of the falls we continued our drive north, stopping to bird along the Tana River near the hydroelectric station in Sagana. Although we were unable to find the endemic Hinde’s Babbler at this spot (or at any of the other places we tried), we did pick up Grey-headed Kingfisher, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black-and-White Manakin, and a surprise Western Banded Snake Eagle. Over lunch at a roadside café in Embu we watched Silvery-cheeked Hornbills and a flock of Red-winged Starlings, and in the nearby Mwea rice fields found African Spoonbill, Fulvous Whistling Duck, African Jacana, Long-toed Lapwing, and a number of Yellow-crowned Bishops. It was already late in the day when we passed through the Meru forest, and we stopped only long enough to get a very quick look at a Kenrick’s Starling perched atop a tree along the road and an endemic Jackson’s Chameleon balancing on a telephone wire. By the time we finally reached Buffalo Springs NP and the Samburu Serena Lodge, it was long past sunset and we had to be shown to our room by flashlight.
Thursday 18 May: Samburu NP and Buffalo Springs NP
Over an early breakfast we watched our first African Elephant browsing along the river only a stone’s throw from the dining room, and had a Red-billed Hornbill join us at our table for a bit of toast. We then headed out for the morning, crossing the river into Samburu NP. We quickly found a foraging flock of Vulturine Guineafowl, and nearby a pair of Spotted Thick-knees roosting under a shrub. As we explored the acacia scrub and nearby river edge we also encountered Eastern Chanting Goshawk, Martial Eagle, a very distant but unmistakable Verreaux’s Eagle, a pair of African Orange-bellied Parrots exploring a nest cavity, several African Cuckoos, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Blue-naped and White-headed Mousebirds, White-throated Bee-eater, African Hoopoe, Eastern Yellow-billed, African Grey, and Von der Decken’s Hornbills, Red-and-Yellow and D’Arnaud’s Barbets, Pink-breasted Lark, Rufous Chatterer, Bare-eyed Thrush, Pale Prinia, Grey Wren-Warbler, Yellow-vented Eremomela, Pygmy Batis, Rosy-patched Bush-shrike, Eastern Violet-backed and Marico Sunbirds, large flocks of Chestnut Sparrows and Chestnut Weavers, nesting Vitelline Masked Weavers, Blue-capped Cordon-bleu, Village Indigobird, and Somali Golden-breasted Bunting. Reticulated Giraffes and Savannah Baboons were conspicuous and we were also pleased to find a Grevy’s Zebra, but the best mammal sighting was a group of 3-4 Cheetahs stalking through the scrub. We returned to the lodge for lunch, where a brief tour of the grounds turned up Northern Puffback, a pair of Fan-tailed Ravens, Black-bellied Sunbird, and Northern Brownbul. In the late afternoon we drove out again to explore the much drier Buffalo Springs NP, where we tracked down a calling Buff-crested Bustard, found nesting Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-weavers, Black-capped Social Weavers and Black-necked Weavers, and picked out Nyanza and Mottled Swifts among the ubiquitous Little Swifts. Towards sunset we slowly cruised the tracks looking for sandgrouse, and were rewarded with excellent views of several pairs of Black-faced and Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse foraging along the roads. As we wound our way homewards through a small ravine along the river, a Leopard suddenly materialized in the road immediately in front of us. We stopped the van and watched awestruck as the cat passed within several meters of us and then sat down behind the van to lick its paws and sniff the grass, calmly moving on a few minutes later. Wow! Our return to the lodge was delayed by several large herds of elephants blocking the road, and after taking several detours to get around them safely we eventually made it back, once again arriving in the compound after sunset.
Friday 19 May: Samburu to Mt. Kenya
Our plan for this morning was to make a trip to the far side of Shaba NP to look for the endemic Williams’s Lark. On the scenic drive out through Buffalo Springs NP we encountered a group of about 6 stately Kori Bustards, added Red-winged Lark and Taita Fiscal to our list, and saw a few Beisa Oryx and Grant’s Gazelles, but the Somali Ostriches we hoped to see were not to be found. As we started up the road into Shaba, Chege decided the van’s engine was making a strange noise, and told us he didn’t feel comfortable driving deep into the park with a possible mechanical problem. Aborting our quest for the lark, we turned around and drove back a few km to a Kenya Wildlife Service maintenance yard, where the local mechanics decided the van’s fuel filter needed to be replaced. This operation took about 3 hrs, during which time we amused ourselves by birding the roadside, picking up Three-streaked Tchagra, Hunter’s Sunbird, the white-bellied subspecies of Variable Sunbird, and, on the roof of the garage, Bristle-crowned Starling. Eventually we started on the long journey to Mt. Kenya, although Chege informed us that the engine problem was “only half fixed” and we would need to stop en route at a garage in Nanyuki. It quickly became apparent that the engine now had no power, and we crawled up the long grade out of Isiolo in first gear, making headway at a rate of about 5 kph. Eventually the engine overheated and the radiator boiled over, spewing rusty water all over the interior of the van (fortunately our optics were spared, but many of Chege’s books got a soaking). We finally limped into Nanyuki at about 3 pm, having abandoned all hope of a trip up Mt. Kenya to the Met Station, and certain we wouldn’t make it to our destination of Mountain Lodge that night. Within a few minutes, however, Chege managed to find a car and driver willing to take us the 100 km to Mountain Lodge while he stayed behind and took the van to the garage. We arrived there at about 4:30 pm, accompanied by dark clouds and rain showers, and immediately hired the lodge’s resident guide to take us on a bird walk (because of the dangerous wildlife, visitors may not leave the immediate vicinity of the lodge without armed escort). Unfortunately, we saw very little in the remaining hour of gloomy light, adding to our list only Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Slender-billed Greenbul, Eastern Bronze-Naped Pigeons and Red-fronted Parrots flying overhead, and some obstructed views of Hartlaub’s Turaco.
Saturday 20 May: Mountain Lodge to Lake Nakuru NP
Chege arrived in the morning with the news that the van was still “not quite right” and he was going to have to take it to Nairobi for repairs. He would first drive us to our next destination, Lake Nakuru, and had arranged for another guide with a rented safari van to meet us there and look after us for the 2 days it would take him to go to Nairobi and back. As we started birding our way down the mountain it was obvious that the van’s problems were now even worse than they had been the previous day – in addition to having no power it was shaking and shuddering horribly, clearly not running on all cylinders. We coasted downhill, stopping along the way for better looks at Hartlaub’s Turaco, an African Crowned Eagle on a nest, White-eared Barbet, and a spectacular male African Emerald Cuckoo singing from an open perch above the road. After several kilometers of stop-and-go birding the van finally refused to start and we had to push it to the top of a long incline, eventually getting it started again on the downhill side. By now it was clear that the van was not going to make it another 200+ km to Nakuru, so at the first small village we came to Chege found a matatu (taxi van) driver willing to take us to Nyeri, the nearest large town. In Nyeri we were transferred to another matatu for the 3 hr drive to Nakuru. We asked the matatu driver to stop en route for half an hour at Thomson’s Falls so we could look for the very local Slender-billed Starling. Fortunately we had been there for only a few minutes when a mixed group of Red-winged and Slender-billed Starlings flew in to perch in a dead tree directly over the falls, affording us a very nice comparison of both sexes of the two species. The matatu left us at a hotel in Nakuru, where we eventually were met by our substitute guide, Alex Oloo, and safari van driver, Frank. It was after 5 pm, however, by the time we finally reached Lake Nakuru NP, where we spent the last hour of daylight along the lakeshore. Among the thousands of Lesser Flamingos and many Great White Pelicans, we also found Cape Teal, Grey-headed Gull, Crowned Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover, and, in and over the surrounding grasslands, African Black and White-rumped Swifts, Plain-backed Pipit, and Northern Anteater-Chat. As we headed for the Sarova Lion Hills Lodge at dusk, we passed White Rhinos, Plains Zebras, Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles and many other large mammals grazing in the grasslands surrounding the lake.
Sunday 21 May: Lake Nakuru to Lake Baringo
An early morning game drive was terrific for mammals, and we picked up Rothschild’s Giraffe, Warthogs, Black-backed Jackals and a Common Eland. We also spent some more time watching the flamingos at close range, amused by the small groups of males looking like synchronized clockwork toys as they persistently followed indifferent females. Other birds we saw in the grasslands included displaying Long-tailed Widowbirds, Red-capped Lark, African Fish Eagle, and a very close pair of Grey Crowned-Cranes. We returned to the lodge for a late breakfast, finding a White-shouldered Cliff Chat scavenging for crumbs in the dining room, Little Rock Thrush nearby, and Black-headed Weavers building nests in the parking lot. Due to a miscommunication between Chege and Alex regarding our itinerary we left immediately after breakfast for Lake Baringo, with the result that we missed seeing some of the Lake Nakuru area specialties such as Lyne’s Cisticola. Arriving at the Lake Baringo Club before lunch, Alex requested that the staff feed the birds for our benefit, and a short while later a large pile of bread was swarming with Black-headed, Golden-backed, Northern Masked and Lesser Masked Weavers, White-billed Buffalo-Weavers and Superb and Rueppell’s Long-tailed Starlings. We spent the afternoon birding the grounds of the hotel and adjacent campground, finding Jackson’s Hornbill, Woodland Kingfisher, Red-fronted Barbet, Green Wood-hoopoe, Brown Babbler, African Black-headed Oriole, Grey-backed Fiscal, Little Weaver, and several stunning white morph male African Paradise-Flycatchers sitting on nests. During dinner a Hippopotamus appeared on the hotel lawn, and we had to be escorted back to our room by a security guard.
Monday 22 May: Lake Baringo
We started the morning at the cliffs, where we met up with a teenager named Francis, one of several enterprising local boys who keep tabs on the locations of owls and other specialty birds and show them to visiting birders. Here we found Common Kestrel, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Black-throated Barbet, Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Northern Crombec, Yellow-spotted Petronia, and a spectacular male Red-headed Weaver. Francis showed us a White-faced Scops Owl, and then took us to a nearby site where an adult and juvenile Greyish Eagle-Owl were roosting together. After a late breakfast back at the hotel we took a boat trip on Lake Baringo, where we were impressed and somewhat horrified by the many local fisherman standing up to their waists in water that was rife with both Hippopotamus and Nile Crocodiles. The boatman took us along the shore of the lake, stopping for good looks at Water Thick-knees, Black Crakes, a Goliath Heron that was clearly used to tourists and enthusiastically accepted a fish thrown in its direction, and a pair of African Fish Eagles that also put on a show in exchange for fish. In the trees along the lakeshore we saw many Madagascar Bee-eaters and a large flock of Red-billed Quelea. After the boat trip we went back over to the campground, where with the help of the hotel’s resident naturalist we located a pair of roosting Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls. Discovery of a pair of Pearl-spotted Owlets in the hotel parking lot made for an impressive four-owl day! After a late lunch we met up with Francis again, and he guided us to a pair of nesting Heuglin’s Coursers and a roosting Slender-tailed Nightjar. We then drove up the road about 10 km to an area where Francis thought we might find Straw-tailed and Eastern Paradise Whydahs. We didn’t, but the dry scrub along the road was nonetheless productive, giving us Dark Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon (a species we had been disappointed to miss at Samburu), Black-and-White Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Red-fronted Warbler, Northern Grey Tit, Mouse-colored Penduline-Tit, White-bellied Canary, and several pairs of very colorful Green-winged Pytilias. Returning to the hotel at dusk, we found that Chege had arrived with the repaired van, so Alex and Frank would be returning to Nairobi in the morning. We greatly enjoyed the time we spent with them – Alex is a delightfully engaging person, and he too is available to guide custom birding safaris in Kenya (koribustard2000@yahoo.com).
Tuesday 23 May: Lake Baringo to Kitale and Saiwa Swamp
Following an early breakfast all 5 of us returned to the cliffs hoping to find Hemprich’s Hornbill, a species that had eluded us the previous day. We were unsuccessful, but did add to the list a pair of Lanner Falcons and some Black-cheeked Waxbills. Reluctantly, we bade farewell to Alex and Frank and began our trip west to Kitale. Five minutes down the road a large bird appeared on the horizon, and a moment later a Hemprich’s Hornbill sailed right over the van – talk about last-minute saves! We wound our way up out of the Rift Valley and then back down into the scenic Kerio Valley, stopping along the road for Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting, White-fronted Bee-eater and Violet-backed Starlings, and as we climbed back up the escarpment, a pair of White-naped Ravens. Just east of Eldoret we stopped at some roadside wetlands, where we quickly found Fan-tailed and Jackson’s Widowbirds, Little Rush Warbler, Levaillant’s Cisticola, and Angola Swallows on the powerlines. We arrived at the Kitale Club in mid-afternoon, checked in quickly, and then drove a short distance north to Saiwa Swamp NP. Saiwa Swamp is Kenya’s smallest national park, and supports populations of two rare mammals, the Sitatunga (an aquatic antelope) and DeBrazza’s Monkey. Birds we encountered here included noisy Black-and-White Casqued Hornbills, an adult Ross’s Turaco feeding a fledgling, Blue-headed Coucal, Scaly-breasted Honeyguide, Grey-chested Illadopsis, Black-collared Apalis, Black-throated Wattle-eye, and Black-billed Weaver. On our way back to the van a lone DeBrazza’s Monkey was sitting on a fence post along the entrance road.
Wednesday 24 May: Kitale to Kakamega Forest
Our original itinerary had us spending the day birding the Kongelai escarpment, northwest of Kitale along the Ugandan border. We were, however, impatient to get to Kakamega Forest, about which we had heard so much, and were still frustrated by the amount of time we had lost earlier as a result of the van trouble. Because most of the Kongelai escarpment specialties are West African species we had seen previously in the Gambia, we decided to forego birding that area in favor of getting to Kakamega early in the day. In retrospect this was a good decision, as late afternoon rain showers in Kakamega limited the number of hours we were able to bird productively each day. Before leaving Kitale we spent several hours on the Kitale Club golf course, where we flushed a Harlequin Quail, found Red-throated Wryneck and Brown Parisoma, and were shown another pair of Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls by an interested groundskeeper. A stop at the bridge south of Kitale was unproductive, and we arrived at the entrance to Kakamega Forest in the early afternoon, having seen Yellow-backed Weaver and Black-winged Red Bishop on the way. There was a fair amount of activity along the entrance road, and in rapid succession we found Little Grey and Shelley’s Greenbuls, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Buff-throated Apalis, the rare Turner’s Eremomela, Dusky Tit, Common and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Lüdher’s Bush-shrike and Stuhlman’s Starling. At about 3 pm it clouded over and began to rain torrentially so we made our way to the Rondo Retreat Center, where we enjoyed a cup of tea on the veranda of our cottage while waiting for the storm to pass. Eventually the rain stopped and we finished the day birding the grounds at Rondo. Well-hidden White-spotted Flufftails were calling along the nature trail, but in general it was very quiet and the only new species we saw were Grey-winged Robin-Chat and Green Sunbird.
Thursday 25 May: Kakamega Forest
We spent the morning birding along the road by the river. Although Chege thought the forest seemed unusually quiet, we continued to pick up new species at a steady pace throughout the morning. In particular, we had good luck with the greenbuls, finding Ansorge’s, Cameroon Sombre and Toro Olive Greenbuls in addition to the common Yellow-whiskered, Slender-billed and Joyful Greenbuls. The highlight of the morning, however, was the pair of Grey Parrots that flew over on their morning commute between roosting and feeding areas. Other species we saw along the road included Brown-eared Woodpecker, Grey-throated and Yellow-billed Barbets, Uganda Woodland-Warbler, Chubb’s Cisticola, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Green-throated and Olive-bellied Sunbirds, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Red-headed Bluebill, Dark-backed and Brown-capped Weavers, and Oriole Finch, a life bird for Chege. An Ayre’s Hawk-Eagle soared high overhead, and only Cathy saw a pair of Least Honeyguides gleaning high in the canopy. In the late afternoon we walked down the road from Rondo towards the Pumphouse Trail, getting good looks at Brown-chested Alethe, Olive-green Camaroptera and Western Black-headed Oriole along the way. Just as we started down the Pumphouse Trail it began to rain and all bird activity ceased. By the time we reached the pumphouse itself the rain was torrential, and we took shelter inside a small hut for about half an hour until the rain eased off and we could resume birding. Unfortunately the rain had put a damper on any further bird activity, and we saw very little for the rest of the afternoon other than the always-watching primates: Blue Monkeys, Black-and-white Colobus, and the odd-looking white-nosed Red-tailed Monkeys.
Friday 26 May: Mumias and Kakamega Forest
We left Rondo at 5:30 am to be at the bridge in Mumias shortly after dawn. Here we were lucky to find three Rock Pratincoles in the river below the bridge, a colony of Viellot’s Black Weavers, and a Red-chested Sunbird. We then continued west towards the Ugandan border, stopping to bird several riparian areas along the main road. By mid-morning we had seen several Black-shouldered Kites, Senegal Coucal, White-browed Robin-chat, Black-headed Gonolek, Copper Sunbird, Black Bishop, the Yellow-shouldered race of Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Bar-breasted Firefinch, and Fawn-breasted Waxbill. An African Hobby stooping over the road was a special treat. We returned to Rondo for lunch, and in the late afternoon headed back to the Pumphouse Trail. Right on schedule, the rain arrived as we reached the pumphouse, but this time it was not as heavy and we waited out the storm under the shelter of a tree. We were rewarded with the appearance of a noisy group of about 6 Great Blue Turacos and, simultaneously, three damp Blue-headed Bee-eaters hawking insects from the canopy of a large tree. As dusk approached we searched along some very muddy cattle trails for an incessantly calling Black Cuckoo, but in the end the bird eluded us.
Saturday 27 May: Kakamega Forest
This morning Chege turned us over to a local guide named Smith to whom we gave a list of all of the Kakamega specialties we had not yet seen. After looking it over, Smith proclaimed everything on it “easy”, but the forest was very quiet and we located few of the species on our wish list. We did, however, see Double-toothed Barbet (missed at Kitale), more Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets, another Bar-tailed Trogon, a male Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike with his throat shining in the early morning sunlight, a pair of nest-building Petit’s Cuckoo-shrikes, Southern Hyliota, Pink-footed Puffback, an Equatorial Akalat that hopped out into the road and as quickly disappeared back into the understory, White-breasted Negrofinch, and Black-crowned Waxbill. The best bird of the morning was a Yellowbill in vines at eye level, all of the beautiful subtleties of its plumage shown to full advantage. After lunch we left Rondo, but continued to bird along the forest roads, figuring we would leave for Kisumu once the rain began. As luck would have it, this was the one day on which we didn’t have a storm, but the only new species we saw in the course of the afternoon was Green Hylia. We arrived in Kisumu at sunset and checked into the Kisumu Hotel, run by the local university and staffed by students. Although our room was clean and quiet, the service in the hotel restaurant provided us with many laughs, as every dish delivered to the table bore no resemblance to what the menu had promised!
Sunday 28 May: Kisumu (Lake Victoria) to Masai Mara
Sunrise found us already on the way to Dunga Beach, where African Openbills were beginning to arrive in the fields and a late-flying owl was heading home (we guessed Marsh Owl, but did not see it well enough to confirm the identification). Chege had told us that as a result of the drought the water level in Lake Victoria was so low it was now possible (and necessary) to bird the papyrus beds on foot. When we arrived at the lakeshore, however, we discovered that the lake had begun to rise since his last visit. Although the water level was still too low for boats to enter the papyrus, the start of the footpath was now submerged under a foot of water and thick black muck. We had no trouble finding Swamp Flycatcher, Northern Brown-throated Weaver and Papyrus Canary along the edges of the papyrus, but several of the other specialties are found in the tallest, oldest stands that could only be reached via the sodden path. Chege had one pair of rubber boots in the van, so we decided to take turns wearing them into the swamp to a place where it was possible to proceed in regular shoes. Going in first, Cathy compromised this plan by stepping off the path slightly and sinking up to her thigh in thick black mud, and in a scene bringing to mind The African Queen almost lost one of the too-large boots while being extricated by Chege. It was at this tense moment that two Papyrus Gonoleks flew in and perched in full view, and Chege hurried back to Paul with the muck-filled boots, leaving Cathy standing in the swamp in muddy socks. Unfortunately, the gonoleks disappeared before Paul arrived, but we all got good looks at Carruther’s Cisticola and Slender-billed Weaver, and some not-so-good views of uncooperative Greater Swamp Warblers. Along the lakeshore we also saw several Great Cormorants, more Water Thick-knees, an African Marsh Harrier, Shikra and an immature Great Sparrowhawk. We returned to the hotel for breakfast and a much-needed change of clothes, and then set off on the long drive to the Masai Mara, stopping along the road south of Kisumu for Southern Red Bishop and Knob-billed Duck. The once-paved road between Kisii and Kilgoris was the worst we had yet traveled, and we finally reached the Oloololo escarpment and descended to the Masai Mara at sunset. Although the light was failing as we checked into the luxurious Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp, we quickly scanned the surrounding savannah and were delighted to see a large male Lion strolling through the grass several hundred meters from our tent, the last of the Big Five.
Monday 29 May: Masai Mara
The plan for the morning was for us to split our time between searching the riparian forest around Kichwa Tembo for Schalow’s Turaco and looking for several other localized species on the Oloololo escarpment. We decided to go to the escarpment first, but as we reached a vantage point from which we could look down on the camp we heard turacos calling and stopped to scan the treetops. From here we were able to get reasonable views of a Schalow’s Turaco and several Ross’s Turacos. We also found Red-necked Spurfowl calling from the roadside, a displaying Flappet Lark, and the endemic Usambiro Barbet. Having seen the turaco, we could now spend the remainder of the morning on the Oloololo escarpment, so when we reached the top Chege sent for a Masai friend of his named Ben, who guided us across the escarpment on foot. Although four hours of searching turned up no sign of Familiar Chat or either of the cisticolas (Long-tailed and Rock-loving) that we had hoped to find, we did see Egyptian Vulture, Black-chested and Brown Snake Eagles, Grey Kestrel, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, many more Red-throated Wrynecks, Sooty Chat, a lone Grey-rumped Swallow, and finally caught up with Hildebrandt’s Starling. In the late afternoon we left Kichwa Tembo to drive to the Mara Serena Lodge, birding the grasslands as we went. We again failed to find cisticolas, but were very pleased to encounter a pair of Black Coucals (another lifer for Chege), a Great Spotted Cuckoo foraging in the road, Brown Parrots, Black-lored Babbler, and many African Wattled Lapwings in and alongside the road.
Tuesday 30 May: Masai Mara to Nairobi
Today was destined to be a driving day with few or no stops for birding, as Chege hoped to reach Nairobi in time to run some errands before leaving for the coast the following morning. From the Mara Serena the road heads south, crosses the Mara River and parallels the Tanzanian border before turning north towards Narok. Chege took us on a short detour across the border, and as we joked about adding to our Tanzanian list Paul spied several large birds roosting in some distant trees. Imagine our delight when they turned out to be a family group of three Southern Ground Hornbills! Shortly before reaching the park boundary we stopped to use the restrooms at the nearby Keekorok Lodge. As we pulled in, we noticed a knocking noise coming from the rear of the van, so while Cathy and Paul admired Grey-capped Social-Weavers on the hotel lawn, Chege took the van to the mechanic’s station for a quick inspection. No problem was found, so we continued on our way, making good time on the smooth dirt track. About 5 km down the road there was a loud clunk, the van came to a sudden stop, and a wheel went bouncing away down the hill in front of us, followed closely by a brake drum. All three of us stared in disbelief, the situation summed up by a quiet “My goodness” from Chege. Sure enough, we had lost the left rear wheel, all six lug nuts apparently having come loose and dropped off since the last stop. Fortunately, little damage had been done (had we been on pavement it would have been a different story!). Chege jacked up the van, retrieved and reassembled the wheel – borrowing a few lug nuts from the other wheels – and we went on our way, stopping at a safari van maintenance garage just outside the park to replace the lost nuts. The road through Narok was even worse than that through Kisii and we bounced along non-stop for many hours, finally reaching the Panafric Hotel in Nairobi at about 4:30 pm – we now understand why most tourists who visit the Masai Mara fly there and back!
Wednesday 31 May: Nairobi to Tsavo East and Taita Hills
To avoid the morning rush-hour we left Nairobi in the dark, making it about half-way to Voi before stopping for a pleasant breakfast beside the pond at Hunter’s Lodge. Just to the west we had seen Straw-tailed and Eastern Paradise Whydahs, Cut-throat Finch, Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul, and Rufous-crowned Roller alongside the busy highway. We reached Voi at about noon and turned south for the Taita Hills, winding our way up to the Ngaongao forest on a road that eventually deteriorated to bedrock. A forest employee guided us through the dense forest in search of the endemic Taita Thrush and Taita Apalis, but we ran out of daylight before finding either species. We did, however, add to our list Lemon Dove, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, a skulking Evergreen Forest Warbler, and Taita White-eye, an endemic sub-species of Montane White-eye. As we checked one last spot for Taita Apalis our guide flushed an African Wood Owl that we were then able to relocate and see well. It was after sunset when we started down the mountain and well after dark when we finally arrived at Ngutuni Lodge, a private game ranch that abuts Tsavo East NP. We drove in slowly, hoping to see nightjars or other nocturnal game, but the tracks were devoid of animals.
Thursday 01 June: Tsavo East to Watamu
We spent the morning birding on private land surrounding the lodge, picking up some of the dry-country species we had missed previously at Samburu. These included White-bellied Bustard, Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark, White-crested Helmet-Shrike, Golden-breasted and Fischer’s Starlings, a possible Gambaga Flycatcher, and several Three-banded Plovers at the lodge waterhole. Among a large herd of elephants taking mud baths in the river we also found more Southern Ground Hornbills, this time a group of five (three adults and two juveniles) stalking sedately along the river bank. Two distant female ostriches generated some excitement as we attempted to determine whether they were Common or Somali, the latter a species we had been very disappointed to miss at Samburu. As we watched, a male Somali Ostrich in full courtship display suddenly stepped out of the scrub and advanced towards one female. He dropped to the ground and for several minutes all we could see were his wings waving above the grass like a wildly animated Indian headress. The female looked interested, he jumped up, pranced over to where she stood, they copulated, and then nonchalantly went their separate ways. Best show of the trip! After a lunch spent admiring an Eastern Paradise Whydah and a troop of Banded Mongooses at the waterhole, we drove to Mombasa and from there up the coast to Watamu. About 50 km west of Mombasa the main road deteriorated into a sea of potholes, and, combined with very heavy truck traffic, made for a slow, tedious trip. Past Mombasa the road improved, however, and we reached Watamu at sunset, having stopped briefly along the coastal road for Zanzibar Red Bishop and a Woolly-necked Stork. The Mwamba Field Study Center where we stayed in Watamu is a small but comfortable research station located 100 m from the beach in the Watamu Marine Reserve. The station is run by the Christian conservation group A Rocha, and the director, ornithologist Colin Jackson, was one of Chege’s former mentors. When space is available they rent rooms to ecotourists, and for those who don’t mind simple family-style meals, cold showers, and occasionally helping with the washing up this was a very pleasant, relaxing place to stay.
Friday 02 June: Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Mida Creek
We arrived at the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest shortly after 6 am, and close to the Visitor’s Center happened upon a very birdy area where in rapid succession we found Fischer’s Turaco, Mangrove Kingfisher, Green Barbet, African Golden Oriole, Scaly Babbler, and had a group of Trumpeter Hornbills fly over. Chege had arranged to have a local guide join us, and we were very fortunate that he was able to get David Ngala, known locally as “The Owl Man” and recognized internationally for his grass-roots efforts to save the forest in which he grew up. Without the assistance of David’s amazing eyes, ears and knowledge of the local birds we would have seen very little in this difficult-to-bird habitat. We spent the early morning in very dense mixed forest, where David worked patiently to get us onto Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Black-headed Apalis, Pale Batis, Little Yellow Flycatcher, and Plain-backed and Amani Sunbirds. Later we moved to the more open and somewhat easier to bird Brachystegia woodland, where flocks of Chestnut-fronted Helmet-Shrikes were accompanied by species such as Mombasa Woodpecker and Black Cuckoo-shrike. On our way back to Mwamba for lunch we stopped at Mida Creek, an extensive tidal flat where Crab Plovers, White-fronted Plovers and a variety of other shorebirds were feeding along the distant tide line, and a Purple-banded Sunbird was working the mangroves. We returned to Arabuko-Sokoke in the late afternoon and drove a considerable distance to reach an area of red soil Cynometra forest, the habitat of the endemic Sokoke Scops Owl. Along the way we stopped for Böhm’s Spinetail, Forest Batis, and a stunning Four-colored Bush-shrike that David skillfully taped into view. As sunset approached, David began to check known roost sites for the owl, eventually leading us to a rufous-morph bird that we were able to approach quite closely. He then wanted to show us an unusual orange-morph individual, which required driving some distance further. It was getting quite dark when we arrived at the site, and although the owl had moved from its roost, we could hear it calling nearby. David led us through the dense understory scrub with the aid of a single flashlight, and eventually we found the bird and were able to approach to within several meters of where it sat. On the long drive back through the forest in the dark we surprised an African Civet and a Suni (small forest antelope) in the road.
Saturday 03 June: Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Sabaki River
We met David once again at 6 am, and began the day in the Brachystegia forest not far from the Visitor’s Center. Here with the aid of a tape we saw Tiny Greenbul, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, and East Coast Akalat, as well as Ashy Flycatcher and Black-bellied Starling. David then disappeared off into the forest for about half an hour and returned to lead us to three tiny Sokoke Pipits, nearly invisible as they foraged on the forest floor. Only Chege saw a Spotted Ground Thrush that flushed as the rest of us approached, and unfortunately could not be refound. We spent the second half of the morning in the southernmost (Sokoke) part of the forest, searching unsuccessfully for Clarke’s Weaver and Green-headed Oriole, but getting good looks instead at Common Scimitarbill, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Retz’s Helmet-Shrike, and Eastern Nicator. As we said goodbye to David back at the Visitor’s Center, Paul noticed a Little Sparrowhawk sitting on an open branch right above us. Our last afternoon was to be spent at the Sabaki River mouth and salt pans north of Malindi. For reasons that were not clear to us, however, Chege did not want to leave for Sabaki until after 3 pm, and en route had to stop to run an errand in Malindi. It was already 4 pm therefore when we arrived at a wetland area along the south shore of the river, where we spent about an hour trying fruitlessly to see crakes that were calling. Several male Fire-fronted Bishops were a very nice surprise here. At 5 pm we began hiking to the river mouth, guided by a local man who claimed to know the way. After a trek of about a mile, however, we ended up on the river bank with no view, blocked from going any further by dense mangroves. By the time we had hiked back to the van, driven around to the north shore, and walked in to a point from which we could scope the flocks of terns and other shorebirds at the river mouth it was too dark to distinguish species with any confidence. The only consolation for all of the walking we had done was a Black-headed Batis along the track.
Sunday 04 June: Sabaki River
Chege had planned to leave for Nairobi first thing in the morning, but after the previous afternoon’s fiasco he offered to take us back to the Sabaki River mouth, a suggestion we gladly accepted. This time we drove first to an area of salt pans north of Sabaki, where we found a Malindi Pipit and a pair of Red-necked Falcons. At a second site we failed to locate any additional Malindi Pipits, but did get great looks at several Golden Pipits. Hiking back out to the Sabaki River mouth we stumbled upon a roosting nightjar, but despite very long, close looks, could not identify it with confidence, only narrowing the identification to either Slender-tailed or Square-tailed Nightjar. There were fewer birds at the river mouth than there had been the previous evening, but we could now distinguish at least 5 species of terns in the large, mixed flock, including White-cheeked Tern. Unfortunately there were no Madagascar Pratincoles present, but a small flock of Greater Flamingos was appreciated, as we had missed that species at Lake Nakuru. Happy with the morning’s birds we returned to Mwamba to finish packing and to bid farewell to Chege who would drive back to Nairobi while we flew from Malindi. Despite our driver having to change a flat tire on the way to the Malindi airport we arrived several hours early, the result of some confusion about exactly when the flight was scheduled to leave. As luck would have it, we actually took off about 45 minutes ahead of schedule, leaving us plenty of time to kill in Jomo Kenyatta airport before an uneventful but long flight home to the U.S.
Footnote: Upon our arrival in Los Angeles we rented a car for the one-hour drive home. Five blocks from our house we stopped to pick up some groceries, and when we returned to the rental car found the automatic transmission had jammed — the car would not go into gear, nor could the key be removed from the ignition. While Paul waited for a tow truck to come haul away the rental, Cathy walked home and returned with our own car to retrieve the luggage. An appropriate end to a trip that had been punctuated throughout by interesting vehicular misadventures!
Cathy McFadden & Paul Clarke
Claremont, CA
Annotated list of all species seen (nomenclature and taxonomy of Stevenson & Fanshaw 2002). Numbers in parentheses indicate days (out of 22 total) on which a species was seen. (H): heard only; (?): unconfirmed identification.
Common Ostrich (Struthio camelus): flocks seen at Nairobi NP, Baringo and Masai Mara (5)
Somali Ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes): 3 at Ngutuni Lodge (1)
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis): pairs at Manguo Pond and near Mumias (2)
Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus): large flock at Lake Nakuru (2)
Pink-backed Pelican (Pelecanus rufescens): flock at Sabaki River mouth (1)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): two at Lake Victoria (2)
Long-tailed Cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus): fairly common on lakes and ponds (5)
Darter (Anhinga melanogaster): one at Nairobi NP (1)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea): fairly common (8)
Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala): the most commonly seen heron (11)
Goliath Heron (Ardea goliath): several at Lake Baringo (2)
Great Egret (Ardea alba): individuals occasionally seen in wetlands (4)
Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia): individuals seen at Kinangop and Lake Victoria (2)
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta): common at Lake Baringo, Lake Victoria and on coast (5)
Dimorphic Egret (Egretta dimorpha): one seen at Mida Creek (1)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis): fairly common (8)
Striated Heron (Butorides striata): one seen at Nairobi NP (1)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax): several at Nairobi NP (1)
Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta): common and widespread (10)
Yellow-billed Stork (Mycteria ibis): common in wetlands and on coast (10)
African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus): common at Lake Victoria (1)
Woolly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus): one seen near Watamu (1)
Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus): common in Nairobi, Lake Nakuru and elsewhere (7)
Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus): common and widespread (12)
Hadada Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash): common except in driest areas (13)
African Spoonbill (Platalea alba): small numbers seen in a variety of wetlands (5)
Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus): a few at Mida Creek and Sabaki River mouth (3)
Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor): thousands at Lake Nakuru (2)
Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor): several seen at Mwea rice fields (1)
White-faced Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna viduata): seen in a variety of wetlands (6)
Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca): pairs common at water holes (9)
Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos): one at Samburu and several near Kisumu (2)
Cape Teal (Anas capensis): several at Lake Nakuru (1)
Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata): a few at Manguo Pond, Lake Nakuru and Saiwa Swamp (3)
Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha): several at Manguo Pond (1)
Maccoa Duck (Oxyura maccoa): one female at Manguo Pond (1)
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus): only seen at Mumias and Masai Mara (2)
Black Kite (Milvus migrans): common, especially in Nairobi and around towns (11)
African Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer): seen at Lakes Nakuru, Baringo, Victoria and on coast (4)
Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus): individuals at Samburu and Masai Mara (2)
Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus): one at Oloololo Escarpment (1)
African White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus): seen at Nairobi NP, Samburu, Masai Mara (5)
Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus): several seen at Nairobi NP and Masai Mara (3)
Black-chested Snake-Eagle (Circaetus pectoralis): seen at Samburu and Masai Mara (2)
Brown Snake-Eagle (Circaetus cinereus): several at Masai Mara and Tsavo East (3)
Western Banded Snake-Eagle (Circaetus cinerascens): one at Sagana (1)
Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus): seen at Nairobi NP, Samburu, Masai Mara, Tsavo East (6)
African Marsh-Harrier (Circus ranivorus): one at Lake Victoria (1)
African Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides typus): a few seen, usually along roads (4)
Lizard Buzzard (Kaupifalco monogrammicus): individuals near Voi and at Arabuko-Sokoke (2)
Dark Chanting-Goshawk (Melierax metabates): one at Baringo (1)
Eastern Chanting-Goshawk (Melierax poliopterus): common at Samburu, Masai Mara, Tsavo (5)
Gabar Goshawk (Micronisus gabar): seen at Nairobi NP, Samburu, Masai Mara, Tsavo (4)
(?) African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro): possible sighting at Thika
Shikra (Accipiter badius): one at Lake Victoria (1)
Little Sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk (Accipiter rufiventris): one near Gatamaiyu Forest (1)
Great Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus): individuals at Nairobi NP and Lake Victoria (2)
Augur Buzzard (Buteo augur): common and widespread (10)
Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax): common at Nairobi NP, Samburu and Masai Mara (6)
Verreaux's Eagle (Aquila verreauxii): one at Samburu (1)
Ayres' Hawk-Eagle (Hieraaetus ayresii): one soaring high over Kakamega Forest (1)
Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus): several seen at Samburu and one in the Kerio Valley (2)
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis): fairly common, often along roadsides (5)
African Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus): seen at Nairobi NP, Mt. Kenya, Arabuko (3)
Secretary-bird (Sagittarius serpentarius): pairs at Nairobi NP, near Isiolo and at Masai Mara (3)
Pygmy Falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus): one at Baringo (1)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus): one at Baringo cliffs (1)
Grey Kestrel (Falco ardosiaceus): one at Oloololo Escarpment (1)
Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera): pair on coast north of Sabaki River (1)
African Hobby (Falco cuvierii): one near Mumias (1)
Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus): pair at Baringo cliffs (1)
Crested Francolin (Francolinus sephaena): fairly common at Samburu and Lake Baringo (4)
Shelley's Francolin (Francolinus shelleyi): pair seen at Nairobi NP (1)
Yellow-necked Spurfowl (Francolinus leucoscepus): common at Nairobi NP, Samburu, Tsavo (5)
Red-necked Spurfowl (Francolinus afer): a few seen at Masai Mara (1)
Harlequin Quail (Coturnix delegorguei): individuals flushed at Kitale Club and Masai Mara (2)
Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris): at Nairobi NP, Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Tsavo (4)
Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum): flock at Samburu (1)
Grey Crowned-Crane (Balearica regulorum): pairs near Nairobi, Lake Nakuru and Baringo (5)
(H) White-spotted Flufftail (Sarothrura pulchra): heard daily at Kakamega but never seen
Black Crake (Amaurornis flavirostra): several seen at Lake Baringo and near Voi (3)
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus): several in wetland near Sabaki River mouth (1)
Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata): a few at Manguo Pond (1)
Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori): group of about 6 at Samburu (1)
White-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis): one at Ngutuni Lodge (1)
Buff-crested Bustard (Eupodotis gindiana): one seen at Samburu; heard at Ngutuni Lodge (1)
Black-bellied Bustard (Lissotis melanogaster): common along roads in Masai Mara (3)
African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus): one at Mwea rice fields (1)
Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola): 15-20 at Mida Creek (1)
Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus): a few at Mwea, Lake Nakuru and on coast (4)
Water Thick-knee (Burhinus vermiculatus): a few at Lakes Baringo, Victoria and Mida Creek (4)
Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis): pair at Samburu (1)
Heuglin’s Courser (Rhinoptilus cinctus): nesting pair at Lake Baringo (1)
Rock Pratincole (Glareola nuchalis): 3 at bridge in Mumias (1)
Long-toed Lapwing (Vanellus crassirostris): several at Mwea rice fields (1)
Blacksmith Lapwing (Vanellus armatus): fairly common in grasslands (7)
Spur-winged Lapwing (Vanellus spinosus): fairly common near water (7)
Black-winged Lapwing (Vanellus melanopterus): a few at Kinangop and Sabaki (2)
Crowned Lapwing (Vanellus coronatus): fairly common at Lake Nakuru (2)
Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus): common along roads in the Masai Mara (2)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola): a few on coast (2)
Kittlitz's Plover (Charadrius pecuarius): a few at Lake Nakuru (1)
Three-banded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris): 2-3 at waterhole at Ngutuni Lodge (1)
White-fronted Plover (Charadrius marginatus): fairly common on coast (2)
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus): fairly common on coast (2)
Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata): a few at Mida Creek (1)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia): a few at Nairobi NP and along coast (3)
Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus): a few at Mida Creek (1)
Sanderling (Calidris alba): present at Mida Creek (1)
Little Stint (Calidris minuta): a few at Lake Nakuru (1)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax): several at Lake Nakuru (1)
Sooty Gull (Larus hemprichii): a few among terns at Sabaki River mouth (2)
Grey-headed Gull (Larus cirrocephalus): fairly common at Lake Nakuru (2)
Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica): several at Lake Nakuru (1)
Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis): in mixed flock at Sabaki River mouth (1)
Greater Crested Tern (Sterna bergii): flock at Sabaki River mouth (1)
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii): several among crested terns at Sabaki River mouth (1)
Common Tern (Sterna hirundo): several among crested terns at Sabaki River mouth (1)
White-cheeked Tern (Sterna repressa): one among crested terns at Sabaki River mouth (1)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida): several at Manguo Pond (1)
White-winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus): two at Lake Baringo (2)
Black-faced Sandgrouse (Pterocles decoratus): fairly common at Samburu, Ngutuni Lodge (3)
Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse (Pterocles lichtensteinii): pair at Samburu (1)
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia): seen occasionally in villages (3)
Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea): common in urban areas and dry habitats (7)
Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon (Columba delegorguei): common at Mountain Lodge (2)
Lemon Dove (Aplopelia larvata): several seen in Taita Hills (1)
Dusky Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia lugens): a few at Nairobi NP and Masai Mara (2)
African Mourning Dove (Streptopelia decipiens): common at Samburu, Baringo, Masai Mara (5)
Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata): common and widespread (14)
Ring-necked Dove (Streptopelia capicola): common in drier areas (7)
Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis): common in drier areas (8)
Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove (Turtur chalcospilos): seen occasionally east of Rift Valley (3)
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove (Turtur afer): seen occasionally in west (3)
Tambourine Dove (Turtur tympanistria): individuals seen at Nairobi NP and Mumias (2)
Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis): a few seen at Samburu and Masai Mara (4)
African Green-Pigeon (Treron calvus): seen at Thika, Kakamega, Mumias, Sabaki (4)
Fischer's Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri): pair at Nairobi NP (1)
Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus): pair at Kakamega (1)
Red-fronted Parrot (Poicephalus gulielmi): common at Mountain Lodge (2)
Brown (Meyer's) Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri): small flock at Masai Mara (1)
African Orange-bellied Parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris): pairs at Samburu and Tsavo (3)
Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola cristata): fairly conspicuous at Kakamega (2)
Schalow's Turaco (Tauraco schalowi): one at Kichwa Tembo (1)
Fischer's Turaco (Tauraco fischeri): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Hartlaub's Turaco (Tauraco hartlaubi): several seen at Mountain Lodge (2)
Ross's Turaco (Musophaga rossae): seen at Saiwa Swamp and Kichwa Tembo (2)
Bare-faced Go-away-bird (Corythaixoides personata): several at Masai Mara (1)
White-bellied Go-away-bird (Corythaixoides leucogaster): fairly common (8)
Black-and-White Cuckoo (Oxylophus jacobinus): one at Baringo (1)
Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius): one at Masai Mara (1)
Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius): common, heard most days (3, 7H)
(H) Black Cuckoo (Cuculus clamosus): heard on several days at Kakamega
African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis): several at Samburu and in Kerio Valley (3)
Klaas's Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx klaas): seen at Sagana and Masai Mara but heard often (2)
African Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx cupreus): seen at Mt. Kenya, heard in Kakamega (1)
Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius): seen and heard often (4)
Yellowbill (Ceuthmochares aereus): two at Kakamega (2)
Black Coucal (Centropus grillii): pair in Masai Mara (1)
Blue-headed Coucal (Centropus monachus): one at Saiwa Swamp (1)
Senegal Coucal (Centropus senegalensis): one at Mumias (1)
White-browed Coucal (Centropus superciliosus): fairly common (6)
Sokoke Scops-Owl (Otus ireneae): two seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
White-faced Scops-Owl (Ptilopsis leucotis): one at Baringo (1)
Spotted (Greyish) Eagle-Owl (Bubo africanus cinerascens): two at Baringo (1)
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl (Bubo lacteus): pairs at Baringo and Kitale (2)
African Wood-Owl (Strix woodfordii): one in Taita Hills (1)
Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum): pairs at Samburu and Baringo (3)
(?) Marsh Owl (Asio capensis): possible sighting at Lake Victoria
Slender-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus clarus): one at Baringo (1)
Böhm’s Spinetail (Neafrapus boehmi): several over Kakamega Forest (1)
African Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus parvus): common near palms (10)
Mottled Swift (Apus aequatorialis): one at Samburu (1)
Nyanza Swift (Apus niansae): several at Samburu (1)
African Black Swift (Apus barbatus): several at Lake Nakuru (1)
Little Swift (Apus affinis): very common (18)
White-rumped Swift (Apus caffer): seen at Lake Nakuru and Mumias (3)
Speckled Mousebird (Colius striatus): very common and widespread (19)
White-headed Mousebird (Colius leucocephalus): a few at Samburu (1)
Blue-naped Mousebird (Urocolius macrourus): fairly common in dry areas (8)
Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina): heard and seen in flight at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Bar-tailed Trogon (Apaloderma vittatum): individuals seen at Gatamaiyu and Kakamega (2)
Malachite Kingfisher (Alcedo cristata): fairly common near water (6)
African Pygmy-Kingfisher (Ispidina picta): seen at Thika, Baringo and Mumias (3)
Grey-headed Kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala): fairly common, often on wires (5)
Woodland Kingfisher (Halcyon senegalensis): only seen ay Baringo and Mumias (3)
Mangrove Kingfisher (Halcyon senegaloides): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Striped Kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti): seen at Nairobi NP, Lake Nakuru, Kitale, Mumias (4)
Giant Kingfisher (Megaceryle maximus): only seen in Nairobi and at Thika (2)
Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis): common on lakeshores and in wetlands (7)
Blue-headed Bee-eater (Merops muelleri): group of three at Kakamega (1)
White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides): a few in Kerio Valley (1)
Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus): fairly common in dry habitats (5)
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Merops oreobates): fairly common in central and western areas (8)
White-throated Bee-eater (Merops albicollis): common at Samburu (2)
Madagascar Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus): many at Lake Baringo (2)
Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudata): common in open habitat (12)
Rufous-crowned Roller (Coracias naevia): one seen in Tsavo (1)
African Hoopoe (Upupa africana): individuals at Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Tsavo (3)
Green Wood-hoopoe (Phoeniculus purpureus):seen at Lake Nakuru, Baringo, Kitale (4)
Violet Wood-hoopoe (Phoeniculus damarensis): pair at Nairobi NP (1)
Common Scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas): group at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Abyssinian Scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus minor): seen at Nairobi NP, Samburu, Tsavo (3)
Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus): common at Samburu, Baringo and Tsavo (5)
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill (Tockus flavirostris): seen at Samburu, Baringo and Tsavo (3)
Jackson's Hornbill (Tockus jacksoni): several pairs seen at Baringo (2)
Von der Decken's Hornbill (Tockus deckeni): a few seen at Samburu and Tsavo (2)
Hemprich's Hornbill (Tockus hemprichii): one at Baringo cliffs (1)
African Grey Hornbill (Tockus nasutus): a few seen at Samburu, Baringo, Tsavo (5)
Trumpeter Hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator): small group at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill (Bycanistes brevis): individuals seen at Embu and Mt. Kenya (2)
Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill (Bycanistes subcylindricus): common at Kakamega (6)
Southern Ground-Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri): family groups at Masai Mara and Tsavo (2)
Grey-throated Barbet (Gymnobucco bonapartei): common at Kakamega (3)
White-eared Barbet (Stactolaema leucotis): one at Mt. Kenya (1)
Green Barbet (Stactolaema olivacea): several seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (2)
Moustached Green Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus leucomystax): one at Mountain Lodge (1)
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus bilineatus): common and widespread (9)
Red-fronted Tinkerbird (Pogoniulus pusillus): several seen at Baringo and Masai Mara (2)
Yellow-spotted Barbet (Buccanodon duchaillui): 2-3 seen at Kakamega (2)
Red-fronted Barbet (Tricholaema diademata): common at Lake Baringo Club (3)
Spot-flanked Barbet (Tricholaema lacrymosa): at Thika, Saiwa Swamp, Masai Mara, Voi (4)
Black-throated Barbet (Tricholaema melanocephala): one at Baringo cliffs (1)
White-headed Barbet (Lybius leucocephalus): individuals seen in Nairobi and at Thika (2)
Double-toothed Barbet (Lybius bidentatus): one at Kakamega (1)
Yellow-billed Barbet (Trachylaemus purpuratus): several seen in Kakamega (2)
Red-and-yellow Barbet (Trachyphonus erythrocephalus): common at Samburu and Baringo (3)
D'Arnaud's Barbet (Trachyphonus darnaudii): seen at Samburu, Baringo and Tsavo (4)
Usambiro Barbet (Trachyphonus usambiro): a few seen in Masai Mara (1)
Scaly-throated Honeyguide (Indicator variegatus): at Saiwa Swamp, Masai Mara, Arabuko (3)
Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor): individuals at Thika and Baringo (2)
Least Honeyguide (Indicator exilis): three seen at Kakamega (2)
Eastern Honeybird (Prodotiscus zambesiae): one at Thika (1)
Red-throated Wryneck (Jynx ruficollis): one at Kitale, common on Oloololo escarpment (2)
Nubian Woodpecker (Campethera nubica): in a variety of dry habitats (4)
Mombasa Woodpecker (Campethera mombassica): several at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Tullberg's Woodpecker (Campethera tullbergi): one at Gatamaiyu (1)
Brown-eared Woodpecker (Campethera caroli): two seen at Kakamega (2)
Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens): fairly common (7)
Bearded Woodpecker (Dendropicos namaquus): seen at Gatamaiyu, Samburu and Baringo (3)
Grey Woodpecker (Dendropicos goertae): one at Nairobi NP (1)
Brown-backed Woodpecker (Picoides obsoletus): one at Nairobi NP (1)
White-tailed Lark (Mirafra albicauda): one flushed at Nairobi NP (1)
Red-winged Lark (Mirafra hypermetra): one at Samburu (1)
Rufous-naped Lark (Mirafra africana): the most commonly seen lark (5)
Flappet Lark (Mirafra rufocinnamomea): one seen in display flight at Masai Mara (1)
Fawn-colored Lark (Mirafra africanoides): a few at Nairobi NP and Samburu (2)
Pink-breasted Lark (Mirafra poecilosterna): several seen at Samburu (2)
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix signata): a few at Tsavo (1)
Fischer's Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix leucopareia): a few seen near Isiolo (1)
Red-capped Lark (Calandrella cinerea): individuals at Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara (2)
Plain Martin (Riparia paludicola): seen at Gatamaiyu, Lake Nakuru and Lake Victoria (3)
Grey-rumped Swallow (Pseudhirundo griseopyga): one on Oloololo escarpment (1)
Rock Martin (Hirundo fuligula): fairly common (5)
Angola Swallow (Hirundo angolensis): common around Kitale and Mumias (3)
Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii): fairly common and widespread (7)
Lesser Striped-Swallow (Hirundo abyssinica): the most commonly seen swallow (11)
Mosque Swallow (Hirundo senegalensis): small numbers seen occasionally (4)
Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica): fairly common (6)
White-headed Saw-wing (Psalidoprocne albiceps): common at Kakamega (4)
Black Saw-wing (Psalidoprocne holomelas): common in forested areas (7)
African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp): common (14)
Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis): individuals at Mountain Lodge and Saiwa Swamp (2)
Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara): seen only in Nairobi and Taita Hills (2)
Golden Pipit (Tmetothylacus tenellus): one at Tsavo and several near Sabaki (2)
Yellow-throated Longclaw (Macronyx croceus): small numbers seen in open grasslands (5)
Rosy-throated Longclaw (Macronyx ameliae): one at Nairobi NP and several in Masai Mara (2)
Pangani Longclaw (Macronyx aurantiigula): one at Nairobi NP (1)
Sharpe's Longclaw (Hemimacronyx sharpei): several at Kinangop (1)
Plain-backed Pipit (Anthus leucophrys): seen at Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara (4)
Grassland (African) Pipit (Anthus cinnamomeus): seen in open grasslands and on coast (5)
Malindi Pipit (Anthus melindae): one north of Sabaki (1)
(?) Long-billed Pipit (Anthus similis): unconfirmed sighting at Lake Nakurur
Sokoke Pipit (Anthus sokokensis): three at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Grey Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina caesia): one at Gatamaiyu (1)
Petit's Cuckoo-shrike (Campephaga petiti): several (incl. nesting pair) seen at Kakamega (2)
Black Cuckoo-shrike (Campephaga flava): individuals at Nairobi NP and Arabuko-Sokoke (2)
Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike (Campephaga quiscalina): one at Kakamega (1)
Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus): very common and widespread (21)
Shelley's Greenbul (Andropadus masukuensis): fairly common at Kakamega (3)
Little Grey Greenbul (Andropadus gracilis): one at Kakamega (1)
Ansorge's Greenbul (Andropadus ansorgei): a few seen at Kakamega (1)
Cameroon Sombre (Plain) Greenbul (Andropadus curvirostris): one at Kakamega (1)
Slender-billed Greenbul (Andropadus gracilirostris): fairly common in forested areas (5)
Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul (Andropadus importunus): one in Tsavo (1)
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul (Andropadus latirostris): common at Kakamega and other forests (6)
Mountain Greenbul (Andropadus nigriceps): a few seen at Gatamaiyu and Mountain Lodge (2)
Stripe-cheeked Greenbul (Andropadus milanjensis): common in Taita Hills (1)
Yellow-throated Greenbul (Chlorocichla flavicollis): several seen along rivers (3)
Yellow-bellied Greenbul (Chlorocichla flaviventris): several seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Joyful Greenbul (Chlorocichla laetissima): common and conspicuous at Kakamega (3)
Cabanis's Greenbul (Phyllastrephus cabanisi): several at Gatamaiyu (1)
Northern Brownbul (Phyllastrephus strepitans): one at Samburu (1)
Grey-olive Greenbul (Phyllastrephus cerviniventris): several along river at Thika (1)
Toro Olive-Greenbul (Phyllastrephus hypochloris): one at Kakamega (1)
Tiny Greenbul (Phyllastrephus debilis): pair at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Red-tailed Bristlebill (Bleda syndactyla): one at Kakamega (1)
Eastern Nicator (Nicator gularis): one seen well at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Red-tailed Ant-Thrush (Neocossyphus rufus): pair at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Little Rock-Thrush (Monticola rufocinereus): seen at Lake Nakuru and Kerio Valley (2)
Olive Thrush (Turdus olivaceus): common around Nairobi (4)
African Thrush (Turdus pelios): common in west (4)
African Bare-eyed Thrush (Turdus tephronotus): individuals seen at Samburu and Tsavo (2)
Brown-chested Alethe (Alethe poliocephala): fairly common at Kakamega (3)
Red-faced Cisticola (Cisticola erythrops): one seen at Thika (1)
Singing Cisticola (Cisticola cantans): a few seen in Nairobi area (3)
Chubb's Cisticola (Cisticola chubbi): fairly common at Kakamega and in Kitale area (4)
Hunter's Cisticola (Cisticola hunteri): common near Gatamaiyu and Mt. Kenya (3)
Rattling Cisticola (Cisticola chiniana): widespread in dry, open habitats (6)
Winding Cisticola (Cisticola galactotes): seen at Nairobi NP, Lake Victoria, Sabaki (3)
Carruthers' Cisticola (Cisticola carruthersi): one seen well at Lake Victoria (1)
Levaillant’s Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens): one in wetland near Eldoret (1)
Stout Cisticola (Cisticola robustus): seen at Nairobi NP and Masai Mara (2)
Siffling Cisticola (Cisticola brachypterus): a few at Nairobi NP (1)
Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis): several seen at Sabaki (1)
Tawny-flanked Prinia (Prinia subflava): fairly common and widespread (7)
Pale Prinia (Prinia somalica): a few seen at Samburu and Baringo (2)
Banded Prinia (Prinia bairdii): common at Kakamega (4)
White-chinned Prinia (Prinia leucopogon): common at Kakamega (3)
Black-collared Apalis (Apalis pulchra): seen at Mt. Kenya, Saiwa Swamp, Kakamega (4)
Black-throated Apalis (Apalis jacksoni): several at Gatamaiyu and Mt. Kenya (2)
Yellow-breasted Apalis (Apalis flavida): one seen well at Baringo, but heard elsewhere (1)
Buff-throated Apalis (Apalis rufogularis): fairly common at Kakamega (4)
Chestnut-throated Apalis (Apalis porphyrolaema): one at Gatamaiyu (1)
Black-headed Apalis (Apalis melanocephala): a few at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Grey Apalis (Apalis cinerea): fairly common in forested areas (4)
Red-fronted Warbler (Spiloptila rufifrons): one at Baringo (1)
Grey-capped Warbler (Eminia lepida): individuals at Nairobi NP and Lake Victoria (3)
Grey-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brachyura): widespread, heard more often than seen (3)
Olive-green Camaroptera (Camaroptera chloronota): several seen at Kakamega (2)
Grey Wren-Warbler (Calamonastes simplex): a few at Samburu and Baringo (3)
Little Rush Warbler (Bradypterus baboecala): several displaying in wetland near Eldoret (1)
Evergreen Forest Warbler (Bradypterus lopezi): one seen and others heard in Taita Hills (1)
Black-faced Rufous-Warbler (Bathmocercus rufus): heard more often than seen at Kakamega (2)
African Moustached Warbler (Melocichla mentalis): seen at Nairobi NP, Sagana, Mumias (3)
(?) Greater Swamp-Warbler (Acrocephalus rufescens): poor views of two at Lake Victoria (1)
Dark-capped Yellow Warbler (Chloropeta natalensis): one at Thika (1)
Buff-bellied Warbler (Phyllolais pulchella): seen at Nairobi NP, Baringo, Kakamega (3)
Yellow-vented Eremomela (Eremomela flavicrissalis): one at Samburu (1)
Turner's Eremomela (Eremomela turneri): several small groups seen at Kakamega (3)
White-browed Crombec (Sylvietta leucophrys): individuals at Gatamaiyu, Kakamega (2)
Northern Crombec (Sylvietta brachyura): several at Baringo cliffs (1)
Red-faced Crombec (Sylvietta whytii): individuals at Nairobi NP, Thika, Masai Mara (3)
Green Hylia (Hylia prasina): one at Kakamega (1)
Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler (Phylloscopus ruficapillus): one at Taita Hills (1)
Uganda Woodland Warbler (Phylloscopus budongoensis): two seen at Kakamega (2)
Brown Woodland Warbler (Phylloscopus umbrovirens): one at Gatamaiyu (1)
Southern Hyliota (Hyliota australis): one at Kakamega (1)
Brown Parisoma (Parisoma lugens): one at Kitale (1)
African Grey Flycatcher (Bradornis microrhynchus): fairly common in arid habitats (5)
White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher (Melaenornis fischeri): common and widespread (10)
Northern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis edolioides): fairly common in west (4)
Southern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis pammelaina): seen at Nairobi NP and Samburu (2)
(?) Gambaga Flycatcher (Muscicapa gambagae): possibly one at Tsavo
Swamp Flycatcher (Muscicapa aquatica): common at Lake Victoria (1)
African Dusky Flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta): common and widespread (11)
Ashy Flycatcher (Muscicapa caerulescens): pair at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
White-starred Robin (Pogonocichla stellata): several seen at Gatamaiyu (1)
Equatorial Akalat (Sheppardia aequatorialis): two seen at Kakamega (2)
East Coast Akalat (Sheppardia gunningi): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Cape Robin-Chat (Cossypha caffra): a few seen in Nairobi area and at Mt. Kenya (3)
Grey-winged Robin-Chat (Cossypha polioptera): one at Kakamega (1)
Rueppell's Robin-Chat (Cossypha semirufa): individuals seen at Nairobi NP and Gatamaiyu (2)
White-browed Robin-Chat (Cossypha heuglini): seen at Kitale, Mumias and Lake Victoria (4)
(?) Red-capped Robin-Chat (Cossypha natalensis): one glimpsed partially at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Spotted Morning-Thrush (Cichladusa guttata): common at Baringo and in other dry areas (6)
Eastern Bearded Scrub-Robin (Cercotrichas quadrivirgata): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
White-browed Scrub-Robin (Cercotrichas leucophrys): seen at Nairobi NP, Baringo, Mumias (3)
African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus): common at Gatamaiyu and Mt. Kenya (3)
Capped Wheatear (Oenanthe pileata): a few seen at Kinangop and near Narok (2)
Brown-tailed Rock Chat (Cercomela scotocerca): several at Baringo cliffs (1)
Northern Anteater-Chat (Myrmecocichla aethiops): common and conspicuous at Lake Nakuru (2)
Sooty Chat (Myrmecocichla nigra): fairly common in Masai Mara (2)
White-shouldered Cliff-Chat (Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris): at Lake Nakuru and Baringo (2)
Brown-throated Wattle-eye (Platysteira cyanea): fairly common at Kakamega (3)
Black-throated Wattle-eye (Platysteira peltata): a few seen at Saiwa Swamp (1)
Chestnut Wattle-eye (Dyaphorophyia castanea): one at Kakamega (1)
Jameson's Wattle-eye (Dyaphorophyia jamesoni): one at Kakamega (1)
Forest Batis (Batis mixta): several at Arabuko-Sokoke (2)
Chinspot Batis (Batis molitor): seen at Nairobi NP and Masai Mara (2)
Pale Batis (Batis soror): a few seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Black-headed Batis (Batis minor): one near Sabaki (1)
Pygmy Batis (Batis perkeo): individuals seen at Samburu and Baringo (2)
Little Yellow Flycatcher (Erythrocercus holochlorus): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
African Blue-Flycatcher (Elminia longicauda): common at Kitale and Kakamega (5)
White-tailed Crested-Flycatcher (Trochocercus albonotatus): one at Gatamaiyu (1)
Blue-mantled Crested-Flycatcher (Trochocercus cyanomelas): two seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (2)
African Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone viridis): common and widespread (9)
African Hill Babbler (Pseudoalcippe abyssinica): one seen well at Gatamaiyu (1)
Grey-chested Illadopsis (Kakamega poliothorax): one at Saiwa Swamp (1)
Rufous Chatterer (Turdoides rubiginosus): groups at Samburu and Baringo (2)
Black-lored Babbler (Turdoides sharpei): one in Masai Mara (1)
Scaly Babbler (Turdoides squamulatus): group at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Northern Pied-Babbler (Turdoides hypoleucus): seen at Nairobi NP and Sagana (2)
Brown Babbler (Turdoides plebejus): common at Lake Baringo Club (2)
(?) Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii): possibly also seen at Lake Baringo Club
White-bellied Tit (Parus albiventris): fairly common in central highlands (5)
Dusky Tit (Parus funereus): fairly common at Kakamega (3)
Red-throated Tit (Parus fringillinus): individuals seen at Nairobi NP and Masai Mara (2)
Northern Grey (Somali) Tit (Parus thruppi): one at Baringo (1)
Mouse-colored Penduline-Tit (Anthoscopus musculus): one at Baringo (1)
Plain-backed Sunbird (Anthreptes reichenowi): several seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird (Anthreptes orientalis): common at Samburu, Baringo, Tsavo (5)
Green Sunbird (Anthreptes rectirostris): a few seen at Kakamega (2)
Collared Sunbird (Hedydipna collaris): fairly common in forested areas (7)
Amani Sunbird (Hedydipna pallidigaster): a few seen at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Green-headed Sunbird (Cyanomitra verticalis): fairly common at Kakamega and Nairobi area (6)
Olive Sunbird (Cyanomitra olivacea): a few seen at Gatamaiyu, Kakamega, Arabuko-Sokoke (4)
Green-throated Sunbird (Chalcomitra rubescens): one at Kakamega (1)
Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina): seen at Thika and Kitale (3)
Scarlet-chested Sunbird (Chalcomitra senegalensis): fairly widespread (5)
Hunter's Sunbird (Chalcomitra hunteri): seen at Samburu and Baringo (2)
Bronze Sunbird (Nectarinia kilimensis): common in the west (7)
Olive-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris chloropygia): a few seen at Kakamega (2)
Northern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris preussi): fairly common in central highlands (4)
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris mediocris): seen at Gatamaiyu, Mt. Kenya, Kitale (4)
Beautiful Sunbird (Cinnyris pulchella): common at Baringo, less so at Samburu (4)
Marico Sunbird (Cinnyris mariquensis): a few seen at Samburu and Tsavo (3)
Red-chested Sunbird (Cinnyris erythrocerca): individuals at Mumias and Lake Victoria (2)
Black-bellied Sunbird (Cinnyris nectarinioides): a few at Samburu (1)
Purple-banded Sunbird (Cinnyris bifasciata): one at Mida Creek (1)
Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venusta): fairly common and widespread (8)
Copper Sunbird (Cinnyris cuprea): fairly common at Mumias (2)
Yellow White-eye (Zosterops senegalensis): common west of the Rift Valley (6)
Montane White-eye (Zosterops poliogaster): common at Gatamaiyu and Mt. Kenya (2)
Abyssinian White-eye (Zosterops abyssinicus): seen at Nairobi NP and Sagana (2)
African Golden Oriole (Oriolus auratus): several at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Western Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus brachyrhynchus): one at Kakamega (1)
African Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus larvatus): common at Lake Nakuru, Baringo, Kitale (4)
Montane Oriole (Oriolus percivali): a few seen at Gatamaiyu and Mt. Kenya (2)
Grey-backed Fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides): common at Baringo, also seen at Masai Mara (4)
Long-tailed Fiscal (Lanius cabanisi): common at Nairobi NP, Tsavo and on coast (4)
Taita Fiscal (Lanius dorsalis): a few seen at Samburu and Tsavo (3)
Common Fiscal (Lanius collaris): very common along roadsides (12)
Northern White-crowned Shrike (Eurocephalus rueppelli): common at Baringo and Tsavo (6)
Brubru (Nilaus afer): individuals seen at Samburu, Baringo and Tsavo (3)
Northern Puffback (Dryoscopus gambensis): pair at Samburu Serena Lodge (1)
Black-backed Puffback (Dryoscopus cubla): seen at Nairobi NP, Sagana, Masai Mara (3)
Pink-footed Puffback (Dryoscopus angolensis): pair at Kakamega (1)
Brown-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra australis): individuals at Sagana, Kakamega, Mumias (3)
Three-streaked Tchagra (Tchagra jamesi): individuals seen at Shaba, Baringo, Tsavo (3)
Lüdher's Bushshrike (Laniarius luehderi): common at Kakamega (3)
Tropical Boubou (Laniarius aethiopicus): fairly common (7)
Black-headed Gonolek (Laniarius erythrogaster): several seen near Mumias (1)
Papyrus Gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri): two at Lake Victoria (1)
Slate-colored Boubou (Laniarius funebris): several seen at Nairobi NP and Samburu (4)
Rosy-patched Bushshrike (Rhodophoneus cruentus): a few at Samburu (2)
Bocage’s (Grey-green) Bushshrike (Malaconotus bocagei): two seen at Kakamega (2)
Black-fronted Bushshrike (Malaconotus nigrifrons): one at Gatamaiyu (1)
Four-colored Bushshrike (Malaconotus quadricolor): one at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
White-crested Helmetshrike (Prionops plumatus): group at Tsavo (1)
Retz's Helmetshrike (Prionops retzii): flock at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike (Prionops scopifrons): common at Arabuko-Sokoke (2)
Fork-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis): common and widespread (12)
House Crow (Corvus splendens): very common on coast (3)
Cape Rook (Corvus capensis): seen occasionally in highland agricultural areas (4)
Pied Crow (Corvus albus): very common (14)
Fan-tailed Raven (Corvus rhipidurus): pairs seen at Samburu and Baringo (2)
White-naped Raven (Corvus albicollis): pairs at Kerio Valley and Taita Hills (2)
Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea): a few seen at Samburu and Baringo (2)
Golden-breasted Starling (Cosmopsarus regius): fairly common at Tsavo (1)
Greater Blue-eared Starling (Lamprotornis chalybaeus): common at Lake Nakuru, Baringo (4)
Rueppell's Long-tailed Starling (Lamprotornis purpuropterus): fairly common (6)
Black-bellied Starling (Lamprotornis corruscus): pair at Arabuko-Sokoke (1)
Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus): common and widespread (14)
Hildebrandt's Starling (Lamprotornis hildebrandti): nesting pair at Masai Mara (1)
Violet-backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster): small numbers in Kerio Valley (1)
Fischer's Starling (Spreo fischeri): common at Tsavo (2)
Red-winged Starling (Onychognathus morio): seen at Embu, Nakuru area, Taita Hills (4)
Slender-billed Starling (Onychognathus tenuirostris): several seen at Thomson’s Falls (1)
Bristle-crowned Starling (Onychognathus salvadorii): seen at Shaba and Baringo cliffs (2)
Stuhlmann's Starling (Poeoptera stuhlmanni): common at Kakamega (4)
Kenrick's Starling (Poeoptera kenricki): two seen in Meru area (1)
Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus): fairly common (9)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus): seen in Nairobi area and at Mumias (2)
Rufous Sparrow (Passer rufocinctus): a few seen in Nairobi area and at Gatamaiyu (2)
Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer griseus): common in western areas (5)
Parrot-billed Sparrow (Passer gongonensis): common in central and eastern areas (7)
Chestnut Sparrow (Passer eminibey): large flocks at Samburu (1)
Yellow-spotted Petronia (Petronia pyrgita): seen at Baringo, Masai Mara, Tsavo (3)
White-billed Buffalo-Weaver (Bubalornis albirostris): common at Baringo (2)
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver (Bubalornis niger): fairly common at Samburu and Tsavo (3)
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver (Dinemellia dinemelli): common at Samburu, Baringo, Tsavo (6)
Speckle-fronted Weaver (Sporopipes frontalis): a few seen at Samburu, Baringo, Masai Mara (3)
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali): very common in dry areas (9)
Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser donaldsoni): a few seen at Samburu (1)
Grey-capped Social-Weaver (Pseudonigrita arnaudi): only seen at Keekorok Lodge (1)
Black-capped Social-Weaver (Pseudonigrita cabanisi): fairly common at Samburu (1)
Baglafecht Weaver (Ploceus baglafecht): fairly common and widespread (11)
Slender-billed Weaver (Ploceus pelzelni): two seen at Lake Victoria (1)
Little Weaver (Ploceus luteolus): fairly common at Baringo (2)
Lesser Masked-Weaver (Ploceus intermedius): females only seen at Baringo (1)
Spectacled Weaver (Ploceus ocularis): seen at Nairobi NP and Saiwa Swamp (2)
Black-necked Weaver (Ploceus nigricollis): a few at Samburu, Kakamega, Tsavo (3)
Black-billed Weaver (Ploceus melanogaster): seen at Saiwa Swamp and Kakamega (2)
African Golden-Weaver (Ploceus subaureus): one at Sagana; large colony at Hunter’s Lodge (2)
Holub's Golden-Weaver (Ploceus xanthops): fairly common in Nairobi and Kitale area (4)
Golden Palm Weaver (Ploceus bojeri): one at Samburu (1)
Northern Brown-throated Weaver (Ploceus castanops): fairly common at Lake Victoria (1)
Northern Masked-Weaver (Ploceus taeniopterus): several seen at Baringo (1)
Vitelline Masked-Weaver (Ploceus velatus): several seen nest-building at Samburu (1)
Black-headed (Village) Weaver (Ploceus cucullatus): common at Baringo and in west (6)
Speke's Weaver (Ploceus spekei): seen at Nairobi NP (1)
Vieillot's Black Weaver (Ploceus nigerrimus): one at Kakamega and a few at Mumias (2)
Yellow-backed Weaver (Ploceus melanocephalus): colonies near Kakamega, Lake Victoria (2)
Golden-backed Weaver (Ploceus jacksoni): a few seen at Baringo, Mumias (2)
Chestnut Weaver (Ploceus rubiginosus): common at Samburu and in Tsavo area (3)
Dark-backed (Forest) Weaver (Ploceus bicolor): fairly common at Kakamega, Arabuko (4)
Brown-capped Weaver (Ploceus insignis): fairly common at Kakamega; pair at Mt. Kenya (5)
Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps): individuals seen at Samburu and Baringo (2)
Cardinal Quelea (Quelea cardinalis): flocks at Nairobi NP and Mumias (2)
Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea): flocks at Baringo, Tsavo, Sabaki (3)
Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer): several at Mwea rice fields (1)
Fire-fronted Bishop (Euplectes diadematus): two at Sabaki (1)
Black Bishop (Euplectes gierowii): several in Mumias area (1)
Black-winged Red Bishop (Euplectes hordeaceus): one seen near Kakamega (1)
Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix): several in wetlands south of Kitale (1)
Zanzibar Red Bishop (Euplectes nigroventris): seen at Sabaki and near Kilifi (3)
Yellow Bishop (Euplectes capensis): fairly common and widespread (8)
Fan-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes axillaris): seen near Eldoret, Lake Victoria, Sabaki (3)
Yellow-mantled Widowbird (Euplectes macroura): at Mumias and in Masai Mara (3)
White-winged Widowbird (Euplectes albonotatus): common in Nairobi NP and at Mwea (2)
Red-collared Widowbird (Euplectes ardens): common in Nairobi NP (3)
Long-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes progne): several seen at Lake Nakuru (1)
Jackson's Widowbird (Euplectes jacksoni): several seen near Eldoret (1)
Grosbeak Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons): individuals in Nairobi area and at Hunter’s Lodge (3)
White-breasted Negrofinch (Nigrita fusconota): a few seen high in canopy at Kakamega (2)
Grey-headed Negrofinch (Nigrita canicapilla): fairly common at Mt. Kenya, Kakamega (4)
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba): several pairs seen at Baringo and Tsavo (2)
Red-headed Bluebill (Spermophaga ruficapilla): a few seen in Kakamega (2)
Bar-breasted Firefinch (Lagonosticta rufopicta): one near Mumias (1)
Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala): fairly common (6)
African Quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis): several seen at Nairobi NP (1)
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus bengalus): fairly common (7)
Blue-capped Cordonbleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus): a few seen at Samburu, Baringo (2)
Purple Grenadier (Uraeginthus ianthinogaster): small numbers seen fairly frequently (6)
Fawn-breasted Waxbill (Estrilda paludicola): small numbers near Mumias (1)
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild): small numbers seen occasionally (4)
Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula): pair seen at Kakamega (1)
Black-cheeked Waxbill (Estrilda erythronotos): pair seen at Baringo (1)
Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Estrilda quartinia): several pairs at Gatamaiyu, Kitale (2)
Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullatus): fairly common near Nairobi, Mumias, Lake Victoria (6)
Black-and-white Mannikin (Lonchura bicolor): a few seen at Sagana, Kitale, Kakamega (3)
Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata): pair near Tsavo (1)
Village Indigobird (Vidua chalybeata): individuals seen at Samburu, Masai Mara (2)
Straw-tailed Whydah (Vidua fischeri): several seen near Tsavo (1)
Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura): common and widespread (10)
Eastern Paradise-Whydah (Vidua paradisaea): two individuals seen near Tsavo (2)
Oriole Finch (Linurgus olivaceus): one at Kakamega (1)
Yellow-crowned Canary (Serinus canicollis): small numbers at Gatamaiyu, Mt. Kenya (2)
African Citril (Serinus citrinelloides): fairly common (8)
Papyrus Canary (Serinus koliensis): one at Lake Victoria (1)
Yellow-rumped Seedeater (Serinus reichenowi): seen frequently in open grasslands (4)
Yellow-fronted Canary (Serinus mozambicus): a few seen at Mumias and Masai Mara (3)
White-bellied Canary (Serinus dorsostriatus): several at Baringo (1)
Brimstone Canary (Serinus sulphuratus): seen at Nairobi NP, Mumias, Kitale, Masai Mara (4)
Streaky Seedeater (Serinus striolatus): common in central highlands and rift valley (7)
Thick-billed Seedeater (Serinus burtoni): individuals seen at Gatamaiyu, Mt. Kenya (3)
Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting (Emberiza tahapisi): a few in Kerio Valley (1)
Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris): individuals seen at Nairobi NP and Tsavo (2)
Somali Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza poliopleura): one at Samburu (1)
Mammals
Savanna Baboon (Papio cynocephalus)
Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops)
Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis)
Sykes Monkey (Cercopithecus albigularis)
DeBrazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus)
Red-tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus ascanius)
Guereza Black-and-White Colobus (Colobus guereza)
Grevy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi)
Plains Zebra (Equus burchellii)
White Rhinocerus (Ceratotherium simum)
Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)
Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni)
Common Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
Reticulated Giraffe (G. c. reticulata)
Rothschild’s Giraffe (G. c. rothschildi)
Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Common Eland (Tragelaphus oryx)
Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)
Beisa Oryx (Oryx gazella beisa)
Common Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus)
Defassa Waterbuck (K. e. defassa)
Bohor Reedbuck (Redunca redunca)
Kongoni (Coke’s Hartebeest) (Alcelaphus buselaphus cokei)
Topi (Damaliscus lunatus jimela)
Blue Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)
Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri)
Grant’s Gazelle (Gazella granti)
Thomson’s Gazelle (Gazella thomsoni)
Suni (Neotragus moschatus)
Oribi (Ourebia ourebi)
Kirk’s (?) Dik-dik (Madoqua ?kirki)
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas)
Side-striped Jackal (Canis adustus)
African Civet (Civettictis civeta)
Large-spotted Genet (Genetta tigrina)
Slender Mongoose (Galerella sanguinea)
Marsh Mongoose (Atilax paludinosus)
Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo)
Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)
Tree Hyrax (Dendrohyrax arboreus)
Cape Hare (Lepus capensis)
Unstriped Ground Squirrel (Xerus rutilus)
Red-legged Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus rufobrachium)
Golden-rumped Elephant-Shrew (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus)
Herps
Nile Crocodile
Serrated Hinged Terrapin
Leopard Tortoise
Savannah Monitor
Jackson’s Chameleon
Striped Skink
Elmenteita Rock Agama
Red-headed Rock Agama
Flat-headed Agama
Blue-headed Tree Agama