Samburu National Reserve

Birds

There have been more than 390 bird species recorded in Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. The reserves protect a variety of habitats, home to different bird species including arid acacia savannah, scrub and gallery forest alongside the Uaso Nyiro River. The dry, open country offers very rewarding birding opportunities and boasts a number of northeast African dry-country species shared with Ethiopia and Somalia, such as vulturine guineafowl, Somali bee-eater and golden-breasted starling.

Notable Birds in Samburu

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Black-capped social weaver
Common

Birding Rating

Expert Rating

4.0/5 11 Birding Reviews

User Rating

4.3/5 40 Birding Reviews

Birding Specials –Treats for Avid Birders

Acacia tit
Bare-eyed thrush
African palm swift
Ashy cisticola
Black-bellied sunbird
Black-capped social weaver
Brown-tailed rock chat
Chestnut-headed sparrow lark
Chestnut weaver
Donaldson-Smith’s sparrow-weaver
Fischer’s starling
Golden pipit
Golden-breasted starling
Greater kestrel
Grey wren-warbler
Hunter’s sunbird
Lanner falcon
Mariqua sunbird

Northern brownbul
Palm-nut vulture
Pink-breasted lark
Pygmy batis
Red-bellied parrot
Red-necked falcon
Red-winged lark
Reichenow’s seedeater
Rosy-patched bush-shrike
Secretary bird
Singing bush lark
Somali bee-eater
Somali ostrich
Spotted palm-thrush
Von der Decken’s hornbill
Vulturine guineafowl
White-headed mousebird
Yellow-vented eremomela

Best Time for Bird Watching

Samburu is a bird watcher’s delight all year. Many unusual, dry-country specials reside here and can be spotted year-round. Migratory birds arrive into the reserve from November to April. One important consideration is the weather, as heavy showers can mess up your birding plans – November and April receive the most rainfall.

Best Parks for Birding –Including Birding Rating

The best wildlife viewing parks, such as the Masai Mara and Amboseli, offer a solid introduction to East Africa’s common birds. The Rift Valley Lakes including Lake Nakuru and Bogoria are the places to go to mark off many waterbirds, while the arid north, such as Samburu, offers many dry-country specials. Arabuko-Sokoke and Kakamega Forest are birding hotspots as well.