7 Days Bird Watching Safari From Nairobi, Through Mount Kenya Up To Samburu National Reserve

Depart Nairobi early morning and head to Mount Kenya National Park. Arrive in time for lunch. Embark on a bird-watching session and spot Jackson’s Francolin and Aberdare Cisticola.

Mount Kenya is Kenya’s highest peak and one of the most challenging to climb. It also hosts a wide variety of montane forest and moorland bird species. The mountain’s slopes are home to many shy forest birds that are often heard rather than seen. Dinner and overnight at Comfort Gardens Inn.

Mount Kenya Wake up early for a morning bird-watching session in the forests. The cold forests are a haven for elusive birds like the Olive Ibis, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Black-fronted Bush Shrike, Montane White-eye, Jackson’s Francolin, Mountain Buzzard, and Abbott’s Starling.

As you ascend to the bamboo zone, you’ll encounter different species, including Slender-billed Greenbuls, White-headed Wood Hoopoes, White-starred Robins, Thick-billed Seedeaters, and Oriole Finches. The moorland is a paradise for sunbirds, including Northern and Eastern Double-collared, Tacazze, Malachite, Scarlet-tufted, and Golden-winged Sunbirds. The moors are also good for spotting Moorland Chats and White-napped Ravens. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a Bearded Vulture, though it’s believed to have disappeared from Mount Kenya.

After breakfast, proceed to Samburu National Reserve. This bird-watcher’s paradise hosts over 400 bird species during the dry seasons. Birding in Samburu is excellent, with Northern specialties like the Somali Fiscal and Somali Ostrich.

The Ewaso Nyiro River, which flows through the park, is a vital water source and attracts many birds. You can spot Pygmy Falcons, White-headed Buffalo Weavers, Magpie Starlings, Somali Bee-eaters, Donaldson Smith’s Sparrow-weavers, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbills, and the tiny Yellow-vented Eremomela. Most lodges have well-maintained gardens that attract birds like Abyssinian Scimitar-bills, Black-capped Social Weavers, Black-throated Barbets, Black-bellied Sunbirds, and sometimes Shining Sunbirds. The riverine habitat is a refuge for large raptors such as Verreaux’s Eagle Owls, Martial Eagles, African Hawk Eagles, Lappet-faced Vultures, and White-headed Vultures. Smaller birds in the woodlands include Orange-bellied Parrots, Lesser-masked Weavers, and Scaly-throated Honeyguides.

Samburu National Reserve – Buffalo Springs National Reserve Head out early for a bird-watching session to catch birds at their most active. Buffalo Springs has over 390 bird species. Look out for Somali Ostriches, Vulturine Guineafowl, Lesser Kestrels, Abyssinian Rollers, Hildebrandt’s Starlings, and Abyssinian Ground Hornbills.

After breakfast, take a guided walk through the reserve to spot birds like Black-capped Social Weavers, Red-bellied Parrots, and Secretary Birds. Enjoy a picnic lunch in a scenic spot and end the day with a sunset bird-watching session. Return to your lodge for dinner and relaxation. The main river and springs attract waterbirds such as African Spoonbills, Water Thick-knees, Reed Cormorants, African Darters, and various waders like Wood Sandpipers, Three-banded Plovers, Little-ringed Plovers, and Kittilitz Plovers. Dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge.

Buffalo Springs – Meru National Park Head to Meru National Park, a park with diverse fauna and over 300 recorded bird species. The endangered Jungle Babbler, with a restricted range in central Kenya, has been recently documented near Kindani and Nyati Camps in the southwest part of the park.

Meru is home to one of the eight species of Kenya Mountains Endemic Bird Areas and fifty-nine of the 94 Somali-Masai biome species found in Kenya. Endangered species recorded here include the Martial Eagle, African Finfoot, Pel’s Fishing-Owl, Grant’s Wood Hoopoe, and the Saddle-billed Stork, which breeds in the area. Dinner and overnight at Ikweta Camp.

Have an early breakfast and leave Meru National Park for Nairobi. You’ll be dropped off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. End of the journey.