11-Day Kenya Birding Safari | Western Kenya Bird-watching

This exciting 11-Day Kenya Birding Safari allows you to enjoy the Western Kenya Circuit as you pick the rare birds that inhabit this region. We begin in Nairobi and loop West in an exciting route that is aimed at maximizing each habitat.

An 11-day birding safari in Kenya can include a mix of popular birding hotspots like the Rift Valley lakes (Naivasha, Nakuru, Baringo, Bogoria), national parks such as Amboseli and the Masai Mara, and unique habitats like the Kakamega Forest.

This 11-Day Kenya Birding Safari itinerary is often customized to maximize opportunities for spotting both endemic and migratory species, with options to include activities like game drives and visits to ornithological sites in Nairobi. The best time for birding is generally September to April, when migratory birds are present and resident birds are in breeding plumage.

11-Day Kenya Birding Safari Highlights

Duration: 11 days/10 nights
Tour type: private
Tour cost: USD 4,490 per person – based on a tour size of 4 people
Group Size: Minimum 1 person, maximum 11 people + Guide
Activities: Birding, Game drives, and Photography
The trip starts: Nairobi
Trip ends: Nairobi

Western Kenya Bird-watching

Western Kenya is a premier birding destination, characterized by unique habitats like the Kakamega Forest and Lake Victoria basin, hosting over 1,000 species. Key highlights include the Great Blue Turaco, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Kakamega Greenbul, Blue-headed Bee-eater, and various forest specialists such as Turner’s Eremomela and Red-headed Bluebill.

Highlight birds expected include Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Three-banded Courser, Spotted Thick-knee, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Nyanza Swift, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Plain-backed Pipit, Red-headed Malimbe, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, Northern Masked Weaver, Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Green Sunbird, Beautiful Sunbird, Green-throated Sunbird, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Kakamega Greenbul, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Red-headed Bluebill, Oriole Finch, Brown Babbler, Brown-tailed Rock-Chat, Crowned Eagle, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Verreaux’s Eagle, Gambaga Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Pale Prinia, White-chinned Prinia, Turner’s Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Yellow-shouldered (-mantled) Widowbird, Great Blue Turaco, Sharpe’s Drongo, African Broadbill, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, White-spotted Flufftail, Acacia/Northern Grey Tit, Bocage’s Bush-Shrike, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Luhder’s Bush-Shrike, Bar-tailed Trogon, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, White-headed Wood-Hoopoe, Jackson’s Hornbill, Hemprich’s Hornbill, Equatorial Akalat, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Greyish Eagle-Owl and Northern White-faced Scops-Owl

Key Species of Western Kenya

  • Forest Specialists (Kakamega Forest): Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Kakamega Greenbul, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Red-headed Bluebill, Turner’s Eremomela, Equatorial Akalat, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Yellow-crested Woodpecker.
  • Wetland & Lake Region (Lake Victoria): White-spotted Flufftail, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, and various weavers.
  • Specialty Birds: Great Blue Turaco, Black-necked Weaver, Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Bar-tailed Trogon, and Doherty’s Bush-Shrike.

Mammals Expected

Highlight mammals we expect include Maasai Giraffe, Thompson’s Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Common Impala, Nile Hippo, Common Zebra, Common Eland, Mau Forest Guereza, Red-tailed Monkey, DeBrazza’s Monkey, Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Sitatunga, and Cape Buffalo.

During the 11-Day Kenya Bird-wacting Safari, we shall enjoy walking in several birding spots. There will also be some game drives, inside the parks, as we enjoy wildlife. We shall be following the 11 Days Kenya Birding tour plan as highlighted below, to help us explore this region:-

11-Day Kenya Birding Safari Highlights

Notes:-

  • This 11-Day Kenya Birding safari can be combined with our other trips to allow you to sample more locations. We also tailor-make tours according to your target species or landscapes.
  • 11 Days Kenya Bird-watching tour costs include accommodation, ground transport, meals, water, a birds checklist, park entry fees, and guiding fees for all the tour days as shared above.
  • Tour costs do not include international flights, visas, personal health insurance, travel insurance, and items of personal pleasure.

Kenya Birding Tours

Kenya offers world-class birding tours with over 1,000 species, driven by diverse habitats like the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Prime viewing occurs from November to April, featuring seasonal migrants, raptors, and flamingos. Tours range from 3-day, focused trips to 29-day comprehensive safaris.

Jackson's Francolin

15-Day Kenya Birding Tour
A 15-day birding tour in Kenya offers a comprehensive experience, covering diverse habitats from the savannahs of Maasai Mara to the Rift Valley lakes and coastal forests, often yielding over 300-400 species. Key locations include Lake Nakuru (flamingos), Kakamega Forest (endemics), Samburu, and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.

15-Day Kenya Bird-watching Tour
Hildebrandt’s Starling

10-Day Kenya Birding Tour
A 10-day birding tour in Kenya typically covers key habitats like Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli, and the Maasai Mara to spot over 400 species, including flamingoes, raptors, and Kenya’s endemics. These tours offer a mix of savannah, wetland, and woodland birding alongside Big Five wildlife viewing.

10-Day Kenya Birding Tour