Notable birds in Samburu National Reserve

Notable birds in Samburu National Reserve : Samburu National Reserve is one of the most amazing safari in Kenya destination for birdwatching. It has over 450 species recorded, the reserve offers an amazing birdwatching experience. It is a popular site for birding safaris in Kenya. Among the highly valued species are notable endemic and arid specialists such the Somali ostrich, vulturine guineafowl, Hunter’s sunbird, and William’s lark.

Abdim’s stork

The smallest species of stork is the white-bellied stork, often known as Abdim’s stork. Its long legs are grey, its beak is grey, and its feet and knees are crimson. Its skin is red in front of the eye and blue around the beak during the breeding season. This species is common and widespread throughout its large range, and it may be easily observed in several locations within Kenya’s Samburu Game Reserve.

African Fish eagles

There is a huge populations of African fish eagles can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, especially in regions with lots of open water and food sources. The adult is easily recognised by its large, powerful, black wings, white head, and mostly brown body. It is easy to identify because its tail, head, and breast are all snow white, save for the yellow face devoid of feathers. Lake Naivasha and Lake Baringo in Kenya are typically home to these birds. They are also visible in some parts of Samburu National Game Reserve.

The African Spoonbill

The African Spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird. Its body is mainly white, with the exception of its crimson bill, legs, and face. It is simple to recognise this bird thanks to its characteristic spoon-shaped bill. The male and female birds have similar appearances. This great bird feeds on Fish and aquatic invertebrates, such as insects, larvae, mollusks, and crustaceans or shellfish. These birds are commonly  seen along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in  Samburu National Game Reserve. They are also commonly found in several southern African countries.

The Somali ostrich

The blue-necked ostrich, or Somali ostrich, is a large, flightless bird that lives in the Horn of Africa. While the Somali ostrich has blue skin instead of pink around the neck and thighs, which intensifies on the male during mating season, it otherwise resembles other ostriches in many other ways. There is no typical wide white ring around the neck, and the tail feathers are white. The female ostriches have considerably more plumage and are browner in hue than other female ostriches. These birds are mostly found in the northern parts of Kenya, especially in the Samburu region.

Black shouldered kite

The black-shouldered kite, sometimes known as the black-winged kite, is a small member of the Accipitridae family of diurnal predatory birds. This kite is easily recognised by its long wings, white, grey, and black plumage, and its owl-like, forward-facing eyes with red irises. They are not migratory; rather, they show signs of nomadism in response to weather and food availability. Black Winged Kites live in open grasslands and are found in Kenya national parks, including Samburu and Masai Mara.

African Openbill Stork

The african openbill species belongs to the family Ciconiidae of storks. It is a stork, weighing between 1.3 kg and 80–94 cm in length. The plumage of the mature bird is mostly dark, with glossy green, brown, and purple streaks on the mantle and breast. Its bill is notably large and brownish. The legs are black, and the eye is grey. The juvenile’s feathers are duller and browner in hue, with areas of pale tipping. The primary food sources for African openbills are freshwater mussels and aquatic snails.

Black- headed heron

 Stretching its wings to a height of 85 cm, the heron is a massive wading bird. The family Heron is the owner of it. With a lighter grey bottom, most of its plumage is grey above. Dark and powerful is its bill. This species colonies in trees, reedbeds, or cliffs to breed, usually during the rainy season. It uses a big, sturdy stick nest to hold two or four eggs. This bird feeds in shallow water, it regularly spears fish or frogs with its broad, pointed bill. It will kill birds, small mammals, and huge insects in addition to hunting far away from bodies of water. These birds are abundant and widely distributed over most of Africa south of the Sahara. At the Samburu National Reserve in Kenya, they are visible.

Bateleur

Terathopius ecaudatus which is also known as the Bateleur, is a colourful medium-sized eagle species with short tails. Its closest cousins are the snake eagles. This is a solitary species of eagle that nests in trees and has a large home range. The bateleur is a diurnal mammal that covers an enormous area (55–200 km²) for foraging and over 650 km2 for hunting each day. Bateleurs are both scavengers and hunters; they will track down and eat carrion. African native bateleurs can be observed all around Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve.

The Black Chested snake eagle

The large African predatory bird of prey known as the “Black Chested Snake Eagle” may be easily identified by its dark brown head and chest. Although a significant portion of the species appears to be year-round residents in eastern and southern Africa, it is a relatively migratory species. It is prevalent in Kenya’s semi-arid savanna, desert, and moderately wooded areas, though it is not often spotted. In addition to snakes, it also eats lizards and bats.

White-backed Vulture

Throughout Africa, the white-backed vulture is the most prevalent large vulture. A collar of white feathers encircling a grey neck is located at the top of the white-backed vulture’s back, while its remaining plumage is coloured in various shades of grey. They primarily eat animal remains and broken bones. These nocturnal, highly gregarious birds are white-backed African vultures. East African national parks and reserves, such as Kenya’s Samburu Game Reserve, are home to them.

Other common birds in Samburu National Reserve

The Rufous Naped Lark, Common Ostrich, Ruppell’s Vulture, Secretary Bird, Southern Ground Hornbill, Southern Masked Weaver, Speckled Mousebird, Spotted Thick Knee, Striped Kingfisher, Superb Starling, Variegate Guineafowl, Martial Eagle, Marabou Stork, Lilac Breasted Roller, Lappet Faced Vulture, Kori Bustard, Hadeda Ibis, and numerous other birds can be found in the Samburu National Reserve.