Kenya Parks
By Anthony Ham
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Kenya.
Lake Nakuru is a great birding destination with more than 500 species recorded. The soda lake is a birding hotspot and supports a lot of birdlife, including large flocks of pelicans. Unfortunately, flamingos are no longer the drawcard here as unfavorable conditions have driven them to other Rift Valley lakes. Nakuru is also one of the best places in Kenya to see the striking, long-tailed widowbird. There is a good variety of raptors including Verreaux’s and long-crested eagle.
Notable Birds in Lake Nakuru NP
Common
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Birding Specials –Treats for Avid Birders
(E) endemic = only lives in Kenya(NE) near-endemic = also lives in neighboring countries
- Abyssinian thrush
- Arrow-marked babbler
- Bateleur
- Black-tailed godwit
- Black-winged lapwing
- Brimstone canary
- Brown-backed scrub robin
- Crab-plover
- European roller
- Grey crowned crane
- Grey-headed woodpecker
- Great snipe
- Greater spotted eagle
- Grey-crested helmet-shrike (NE)
- Hildebrandt’s starling
- Eastern imperial eagle
- Kenya rufous sparrow
- Lappet-faced vulture
- Lesser flamingo
- Lesser kestrel
- Long-tailed widowbird
- Maccoa duck
- Montane white-eye
- Northern puffback
- Pallid harrier
- Red-capped lark
- Rufous-throated wryneck
- Rüppell's vulture
- Rüppell's robin-chat
- Schalow’s wheatear
- Shining sunbird
- Slender-billed greenbul
- Sooty falcon
- Speke’s weaver
- Western reef heron
- White-fronted bee-eater
- White-headed vulture
Best Time for Bird Watching
If spotting migrant birds from Europe and north Africa is part of plans for a trip to Lake Nakuru, then the best time to visit is from November to April. As this is also breeding season, many species are nesting at this time. Otherwise, the park offers good bird watching throughout the year. Although it’s good for birding, April tends to be very wet, and is a less productive time for general wildlife viewing.
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Facts & Figures
