Africa & Middle East Kenya Birds of Kenya, Africa By Anouk Zijlma Anouk Zijlma Anouk is a travel writer, editor, and agent raised in Malawi and Kenya with more than 15 years of experience working in the African travel industry. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/26/19 www.tonnaja.com/Getty Images More than 1000 species of birds can be found in Kenya. They include eagles, vultures, hornbills, weavers, flamingos, and ostriches. This Kenyan bird guide highlights many of the birds you would likely see while on a standard safari in Kenya, in the Masai Mara or Samburu, Amboseli, and Lake Nakuru National Parks. For serious birders, it's worth taking a specialized birding safari. The best time to go birding in Kenya is from October to April. The roads can be muddy, but you'll be well rewarded. Birding safaris will take you to parks like Lake Baringo, Kakamega, Meru, and Lake Naivasha. They will also allow you the time to study the birds, unlike other safaris where you can occasionally be rushed. Birding safaris in Kenya: GamewatchersBirding safari in Kenya led by expert Maasai guide Wilson ole KasaineBirding and Beyond Kenya ToursNature's Wonderland Birding Safaris in Kenya 01 of 24 Vulture Guineafowl Anup Shah/Getty Images The Vulture (or Vulturine) Guineafowl is a stunning bird, with a gorgeous body and typically "homely" looking bald head. It eats seeds, worms, and insects. Continue to 2 of 24 below. 02 of 24 Lesser Flamingos Tran Anh Linh/Getty Images The Lesser Flamingo is smaller and is a brighter pink than the Greater Flamingo. Huge flocks are common in Kenya's soda lakes: Nakuru, Oloidien, and Bogoria. Continue to 3 of 24 below. 03 of 24 Lappet-faced Vulture suebg1 photography/Getty Images The Lappet-faced Vulture usually feasts on dead carcasses but has been known to attack the occasional live animal. It has a very powerful beak. Continue to 4 of 24 below. 04 of 24 Masked Weaver Bas Vermolen/Getty Images The Masked Weaver is a commonly sighted bird in Kenya. Weaver birds build incredible nests woven from reed, palm or grass. They eat seeds, insects, and nectar. Continue to 5 of 24 below. 05 of 24 Crowned Crane Buy Khum Khng Sukh/EyeEm/Getty Images The Crowned Crane is quite common and lives in marshes or grassland near rivers and lakes. They grow up to 3 feet in height and perform courtship dances. Continue to 6 of 24 below. 06 of 24 Lilac-breasted Roller Andrew Sproule/Getty Images Lilac-breasted Rollers are a common sight on tree-tops in many of Kenya's national parks. These colorful little guys eat insects, small rodents, and lizards. Continue to 7 of 24 below. 07 of 24 Saddle-billed Stork Ryan Jack/Getty Images The Saddle-billed Stork is a handsome looking wading bird found in several of Kenya's National Park Lakes. They can grow up to 58 inches (almost 5 feet). Continue to 8 of 24 below. 08 of 24 Masai Ostrich Anup Shah/Getty Images The Masai Ostrich has small feathers on its head, and bright orange thighs and neck. It's a sub-species of the Ostrich family, the largest bird in the world. Continue to 9 of 24 below. 09 of 24 Ground Hornbill ICHAUVEL/Getty Images The Ground Hornbill lives in open habitats, it travels in groups and feeds on insects, small reptiles, and mammals. It's a fun bird to watch if you can spot it. Continue to 10 of 24 below. 10 of 24 Greater Flamingo, Lake Bogoria, Kenya Matt Cardy/Getty Images The Greater Flamingo is common in Kenya's soda lakes (like Bogoria and Nakuru). It's bigger than the Lesser Flamingo and has a pink bill tipped with black. Continue to 11 of 24 below. 11 of 24 Grey-headed Kingfisher Csilla Zelko/Getty Images The Grey-headed Kingfisher lives in dry woodlands, usually near a river or lake. It hunts primarily for lizards. It can be found throughout Africa. Continue to 12 of 24 below. 12 of 24 Ruppell's Vulture Erich Schmidt/Getty Images The Ruppell's Vulture holds the record as the highest flying bird in the world, with a wingspan of 8 feet. They can eat the hide and even bones of a carcass. Continue to 13 of 24 below. 13 of 24 Egyptian Goose Enn Li Photography/Getty Images The Egyptian Goose is common in Kenya. It eats grasses, seeds, and leaves. It is actually part of the shelduck family and pairs for life. Continue to 14 of 24 below. 14 of 24 Striped Kingfisher Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Getty Images The Striped Kingfisher is common in the dry bush and open woodlands, especially around the Masai Mara. Not the most colorful of kingfishers, so hard to spot. Continue to 15 of 24 below. 15 of 24 Superb Starling Javier Fernández Sánchez/Getty Images The Superb Starling is indeed superb to look at and if you're in Kenya, it's very likely you'll see its colorful body punctuated by a white breast band. Continue to 16 of 24 below. 16 of 24 Kori Bustard fitopardo.com/Getty Images The Kori Bustard is a large omnivorous bird that's usually found on open grassland. They're becoming rarer, so you'll be lucky to see one. Continue to 17 of 24 below. 17 of 24 Black-chested Snake Eagle Arno Meintjes Wildlife/Getty Images The Black-chested Snake Eagle is widespread in lightly wooded areas of Kenya, but not that commonly spotted. It eats snakes but also lizards and bats. Continue to 18 of 24 below. 18 of 24 Little Egret Gary Chalker/Getty Images The Little Egret can be spotted in lakes, feeding on fish and small amphibians. Commonly found in Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, and Lake Baringo. Continue to 19 of 24 below. 19 of 24 Tawny Eagle elroyparkinson/Getty Images The Tawny Eagle is a scruffy bird, widespread in Kenya and you can sometimes spot it alongside vultures ripping through a carcass on the open savannah. Continue to 20 of 24 below. 20 of 24 White Pelican Daniel Osterkamp/Getty Images White Pelicans can be found in huge flocks in Lake Nakuru National Park. They fish in very large groups. Continue to 21 of 24 below. 21 of 24 Yellow-billed Hornbill Westend61/Getty Images The Yellow-billed Hornbill is a medium-sized bird, with a distinctive bill and black and white spots on its body. It feeds on seeds and worms. Continue to 22 of 24 below. 22 of 24 Black-winged Kite J Uriarte/Getty Images The Black-winged Kite hunts insects and small mammals. It is found in open grasslands and you'll be able to spot it in the Masai Mara, Samburu, and other parks. Continue to 23 of 24 below. 23 of 24 Secretary Bird Tom Applegate/Getty Images The Secretary Bird is an interesting looking bird with an eagle-like head and long, crane-like legs. It hunts on the ground and kills snakes and rodents. Continue to 24 of 24 below. 24 of 24 Woodland Kingfisher Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond Photography/Getty Images The Woodland Kingfisher is an attractive bird, the adults are brighter in color than juveniles. They feed mainly on insects. They're aggressively territorial. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit Share Pin Email