Birding In Samburu National Reserve

Birding In Samburu National Reserve : Samburu National Reserve is one of the most impressive sites in Kenya to go birding, the reserve is home to over 450 species recorded including coveted endemic and arid specialists such as the Somali Ostrich, vulturine guineafowl, Hunter’s sunbird and William’s lark among others.

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

Birding In Samburu National Reserve — 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.