KENYA 2025-08: 20-day Birding & Wildlife Safari

Morning flight from Europe to Nairobi – evening arrival

Depart Nairobi for visit to the foothills of Mt. Kenya arriving at Mountain Lodge for lunch. The rest of the day will be spent birding and game watching on the lodge grounds.

Drive to Samburu/Buffalo Game Reserves during an extraordinary three full days. Predominately areas of acacia bush land, interspersed with grassland and riverine thickets, these reserves offer a magnificent collection of flora and fauna including Lion, Leopard, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, Reticulated Giraffe and herds of Elephant. Among the 300 bird species recorded here are Golden-breasted Starling, Green Wood-hoopoe, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Pink-breasted Lark, Vulturine Guineafowl, Lilac-breasted Roller and the largest African Eagle, Martial’s!

In the central highlands for montane species such as Hartlaub’s Turaco, Grey Apalis, White-eared Barbet, Crowned Hornbill , Montane Oriole, Montane White-eye and Tacazze Sunbird. At higher elevation in the Aberdare’s we’ll find endemic Jackson’s Francolin and Aberdare Cisticola, while in adjacent grasslands  we seek Mackinder’s Eagle Owl and the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw.

Lake Nakuru is the most famous of the Rift Valley’s soda lakes. Attractive Yellow-barked Acacias and magnificent escarpments surround the lake that holds spectacular concentrations of Lesser Flamingoes.  Among the wealth of the African mammals, we will enjoy Black and White Rhinos, Impalas, African Cape Buffalo, Silver-backed Jackals, Spotted Hyena, and if lucky, tree-climbing Lions or even a Leopard!

Lake Baringo and the spectacular Kerio Valley offer excellent birding. A boat ride on the freshwater lake will have us close to schools of Hippos and basking Crocodiles, and alongside many waterbirds including Goliath Heron, African Jacana and White-faced Whistling Ducks. An assortment of weavers patrol the reed beds, while Madagascar Bee-eaters and Malachite Kingfishers can be seen perched on the reeds. We will enjoy watching the local fishermen in their traditional ambach canoes fishing, as African Fish Eagles call from the tops of shoreline trees. Nearby basalt cliffs can be teeming with birds on an early morning walk through the acacia woodland with the possibility of Hemprich’s Hornbill, Bristle-crowned Starling, White-faced Scops Owl and Heuglin’s Courser.

At Kakamega Forest we will be looking for some the 30-plus specialties that are localized within this remnant rainforest patch of the Congo basin. Just to mention a few, we will hope to see the Blue-headed Bee-eater, Western Black-headed Oriole, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Turner’s Eremomela,  Grey Parrot, Great Blue Turaco, Red-headed Malimbe, Vieillot’s Black and Dark-backed Weavers among others. Greenbuls are an ID challenge, and include Cameroon Sombre, Little Grey, Ansorge’s, Shelley’s, Toro Olive, Honeyguide and Joyful Greenbuls, and Red-tailed Bristlebill. Kakamega also offers a chance to see a great variety of butterflies as well as Red-tailed Monkey and Black-and white Colobus.

We head south towards the Masai Mara via the papyrus swamps of Kisumu along Lake Victoria. Species we might encounter include Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Red-chested Sunbird, Black-headed Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal, Carruther’s Cisticola, Black-billed Barbet and Northern Brown-throated Weaver.

Three full days in the Maasai Mara to track the annual Wildebeest migration and hopeful see herds crossing the Mara River, where Nile Crocodiles lie in wait! Joining the million Wildebeest will be Zebra and Thomson Gazelle, providing an abundance of prey for predators such as Spotted Hyenas and prides of Lions, and the vultures that soaring overhead.  The Mara is one of the best places in Africa to see cats, and we will seek Cheetah, Leopard and Serval.  Along the rivers schools of Hippopotamus can be found basking in shallow pools and on river banks. Other mammals include the delightful Bat-eared Fox, Topi, Banded Mongoose and the comical Warthog.  Birdlife is abundant, with many birds of prey including Grey Kestrel, Black-chested Snake-Eagle and Bateleur. Notable species will be Kori and White-bellied Bustards, the amazing Secretary Bird, Usambiro and Spot-flanked Barbets, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Temminck’s Courser, Saddle-billed Stork and Nubian Woodpecker.

Depart for Nairobi with lunch boxes to allow enroute birding and as we near Nairobi, pass by the Limuru ponds for a waders and waterfowl. Evening departure from Nairobi.