Birding safari In Samburu National Reserve

Birding safari In Samburu National Reserve : Samburu National park is one of the best destinations to travel to while on an adventurous safari and it is located in the Northern region of Kenya in Samburu district. This national park is situated in a distance of about 350 kilometers (200 miles) from the North of Nairobi city covering a total surface area of about 165 square kilometers and it stands at an altitude, which ranges between 800 to 1230 meters above the sea level.  Continue reading this article to get acquainted with our birding safari in Samburu national reserve

Samburu national reserve is commonly visited and famously known for being a home to the special five animals such as; elephants, lions, leopards, hippos and buffalos. However, touring around different areas of the park will also bless you with chances to spot at some other animals like; gravy zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, the beisa Oryx, reticulated giraffe, cheetah and many others.  however, this national park is also considered as the best place to travel to while on a birding safari in the country because it is harbours around 450 bird species, therefore exploring around this game reserve will grant tourists opportunities to see these species and some of these include the following below;

List of Birds to see in Samburu National Reserve

Ostriches

• Common Ostrich
• Somali Ostrich

Ducks

• Egyptian Goose

Guineafowl

• Helmeted Guineafowl
• Vulturine Guineafowl

  

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

• Yellow-necked Francolin
• Crested Francolin
• Coqui Francolin

Grebes

• Little Grebe

Pigeons and Doves

• Speckled Pigeon
• Mourning Collared-Dove
• Red-eyed Dove
• Ring-necked Dove
• Laughing Dove
• Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
• Namaqua Dove

Sandgrouse

• Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
• Black-faced Sandgrouse
• Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse

Bustards

• Kori Bustard
• White-bellied Bustard
• Buff-crested Bustard
• Black-bellied Bustard

Turacos

• Bare-faced Go-away-bird
• White-bellied Go-away-bird

Cuckoos

• Red-chested Cuckoo
• African Cuckoo
• White-browed Coucal
• Klaas’s Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

• Sombre Nightjar
• Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar
• Slender-tailed Nightjar

Swifts

• Mottled Swift
• Little Swift
• African Palm-Swift

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

• Black Crake
• Cranes
• Gray Crowned-Crane

Thick-knees

• Water Thick-knee
• Spotted Thick-knee

Stilts and Avocets

• Black-winged Stilt

Plovers and Lapwings

• Blacksmith Lapwing
• Spur-winged Lapwing
• Crowned Lapwing
• Three-banded Plover

Sandpipers and Allies

• Common Sandpiper
• Green Sandpiper
• Common Greenshank
• Wood Sandpiper

Pratincoles and Coursers

• Somali Courser
• Temminck’s Courser
• Double-banded Courser
• Three-banded Courser
• Storks

African Open bill

• Black Stork
• Abdim’s Stork
• Marabou Stork
• Yellow-billed Stork

Anhingas

• African Darter
• Cormorants and Shags
• Long-tailed Cormorant

Hamerkop

• Hamerkop

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

• Gray Heron
• Black-headed Heron
• Goliath Heron
• Great Egret
• Little Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Squacco Heron
• Striated Heron
• Black-crowned Night-Heron

Ibises and Spoonbills

• African Sacred Ibis
• Hadada Ibis

Secretary-bird

• Secretary bird

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

• Black-winged Kite
• Scissor-tailed Kite
• African Harrier-Hawk
• Palm-nut Vulture
• Egyptian Vulture
• White-headed Vulture
• Lappet-faced Vulture
• Hooded Vulture
• White-backed Vulture
• Rueppell’s Griffon
• Bateleur
• Black-chested Snake-Eagle
• Brown Snake-Eagle
• Martial Eagle
• Long-crested Eagle
• Lesser Spotted Eagle
• Wahlberg’s Eagle
• Booted Eagle
• Tawny Eagle
• Verreaux’s Eagle
• Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
• Gabar Goshawk
• Eurasian Marsh-Harrier
• Pallid Harrier
• Montagu’s Harrier
• Shikra
• Little Sparrowhawk
• Black Kite
• African Fish-Eagle
• Common Buzzard
• Augur Buzzard

Owls

• African Scops-Owl
• Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
• Pearl-spotted Owlet

Mouse birds

• Speckled Mousebird
• White-headed Mousebird
• Blue-naped Mousebird

Trogons

• Narina Trogon

Hoopoes

• Eurasian Hoopoe
• African Hoopoe

Wood hoopoes and Scimitar bills

• Green Wood hoopoe
• Violet Wood hoopoe
• Abyssinian Scimitar bill

Hornbills

• African Gray Hornbill
• Northern Red-billed Hornbill
• Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
• Von der Decken’s Hornbill

Kingfishers

• Malachite Kingfisher
• African Pygmy-Kingfisher
• Gray-headed Kingfisher

Bee-eaters

• Little Bee-eater
• Somali Bee-eater
• White-throated Bee-eater
• Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
• European Bee-eater

Rollers

• European Roller
• Lilac-breasted Roller
• Rufous-crowned Roller
• Broad-billed Roller

African Barbets

• Red-and-yellow Barbet
• D’Arnaud’s Barbet
• Red-fronted Barbet
• Black-throated Barbet

Honeyguides

• Lesser Honeyguide
• Woodpeckers
• Eurasian Wryneck
• Cardinal Woodpecker
• Bearded Woodpecker
• Nubian Woodpecker

Falcons and Caracaras

• Pygmy Falcon
• Eurasian Kestrel
• Sooty Falcon
• Eurasian Hobby
• Lanner Falcon
• Peregrine Falcon
• Taita Falcon

Parrots

• Fischer’s Lovebird

Parrots

• Meyer’s Parrot
• Red-bellied Parrot

Old World Orioles

• Eurasian Golden Oriole

Wattle-eyes and Batises

• Chinspot Batis
• Pygmy Batis

Bush shrikes

• Brubru Nilaus
• Northern Puff back
• Pringle’s Puff back
• Three-streaked
• Tropical Boubou
• Slate-colored Boubou
• Rosy-patched Bush shrike
• Sulphur-breasted Bush shrike
• Gray-headed Bush shrike

Drongos

• Fork-tailed Drongo

Shrikes

• Isabelline Shrike
• Long-tailed Fiscal
• Taita Fiscal
• Northern Fiscal
• Woodchat Shrike
• White-rumped Shrike

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

• Cape Crow
• Pied Crow
• Fan-tailed Raven
• Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
• Somali Tit

Penduline-Tits

• Mouse-colored Penduline-Tit

Larks

• Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark
• Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark
• Pink-breasted Lark
• Foxy Lark
• Singing Bush lark
• William’s Lark
• Red-winged Lark
• Red-capped Lark
• Somali Short-toed Lark

African Warblers

• Northern Crombec
• Red-faced Crombec
• Somali Crombec

Cisticolas and Allies

• Yellow-vented Eremomela
• Yellow-bellied Eremomela
• Gray Wren-Warbler
• Gray-backed Camaroptera
• Brown-tailed Apalis
• Tawny-flanked Prinia
• Pale Prinia
• Red-fronted Warbler
• Ashy Cisticola
• Stout Cisticola
• Tiny Cisticola
• Desert Cisticola

Reed Warblers and Allies

• Upcher’s Warbler
• Olive-tree Warbler
• Basra Reed Warbler
• Lesser Swamp Warbler

Swallows

• Rock Martin
• Ethiopian Swallow
• Wire-tailed Swallow
• Lesser Striped Swallow
• Common House-Martin

Bulbuls

• Northern Brownbul
• Common Bulbul

Sylviid Warblers, Parrot bills, and Allies

• Banded Parisoma
• White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
• Pale White-eye
• Laughing thrushes and Allies
• Rufous Chatterer

Oxpeckers

• Red-billed Oxpecker

Starlings

• Wattled Starling
• Violet-backed Starling
• Bristle-crowned Starling
• Magpie Starling
• Black-bellied Starling
• Hildebrandt’s Starling
• Golden-breasted Starling
• Superb Starling
• Fischer’s Starling

Thrushes and Allies

• African Bare-eyed Thrush

Old World Flycatchers

• Spotted Flycatcher
• Gambaga Flycatcher
• African Gray Flycatcher
• Pale Flycatcher
• Southern Black-Flycatcher
• Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
• Red-backed Scrub-Robin
• White-browed Robin-Chat
• Spotted Morning-Thrush
• White-starred Robin
• White-throated Robin
• Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
• African Stonechat
• Northern Anteater-Chat
• Northern Wheatear
• Isabelline Wheatear
• Pied Wheatear
• Brown-tailed Chat

Sunbirds and Spider hunters

• Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
• Hunter’s Sunbird
• Bronze Sunbird
• Eastern Double-collared Sunbird
• Beautiful Sunbird
• Black-bellied Sunbird
• Purple-banded Sunbird
• Shining Sunbird
• Variable Sunbird

Weavers and Allies

• Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
• White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
• Speckle-fronted Weaver
• White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
• Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver
• Gray-headed Social-Weaver
• Black-capped Social-Weaver
• Red-headed Weaver
• Little Weaver
• Golden Palm Weaver
• Lesser Masked-Weaver
• Vitelline Masked-Weaver
• Speke’s Weaver
• Black-headed Weaver
• Chestnut Weaver
• Red-billed Quelea
• Fire-fronted Bishop
• Yellow Bishop
• White-winged Widowbird
• Long-tailed Widowbird
• Jackson’s Widowbird

Waxbills and Allies

• Gray-headed Negrita
• Crimson-rumped Waxbill
• Black-cheeked Waxbill
• Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
• Blue-capped Cordonbleu
• Purple Grenadier
• Green-winged Pytilia
• Orange-winged Pytilia
• Red-billed Fire finch
• African Fire finch
• Jameson’s Fire finch
• Cut-throat
• Quail finch
• Gray-headed Silverbill
• African Silverbill

Indigo birds

• Pin-tailed Whydah
• Eastern Paradise-Whydah
• Steel-blue Whydah
• Straw-tailed Whydah

Old World Sparrows

• House Sparrow
• Somali Sparrow
• Kenya Rufous Sparrow
• Northern Gray-headed Sparrow
• Parrot-billed Sparrow
• Chestnut Sparrow
• Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow

Wagtails and Pipits

• Western Yellow Wagtail
• African Pied Wagtail
• Plain-backed Pipit
• Golden Pipit
• Yellow-throated Longclaw

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

• White-bellied Canary
• Brimstone Canary
• Yellow-crowned Canary

Old World Buntings

• Golden-breasted Bunting
• Somali Bunting

Best Time For Birding In Samburu National Reserve

If you are a bird lover, the best time to visit Samburu National Reserve for a birding safari is during the wet season in the months of November, April and May, in these months, many migratory birds arrive in the park and it is considered as the best time for the breeding of the birds.

Contact our trusted tour operators for more information and inquiries and what birds are to see in the country and then book with our tours and travel companies such as; Focus East Africa Tours who offer the best tour packages while on your safari in Kenya.