Birding In Samburu National Reserve : Samburu National Reserve is one of the most impressive sites in Kenya to go birding, the reserve is home to over 450 species recorded including coveted endemic and arid specialists such as the Somali Ostrich, vulturine guineafowl, Hunter’s sunbird and William’s lark among others.
List of Birds to see in Samburu National Reserve
Ostriches
- Common Ostrich
- Somali Ostrich
Ducks
- Egyptian Goose
Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Vulturine Guineafowl
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Yellow-necked Francolin
- Crested Francolin
- Coqui Francolin
Grebes
- Little Grebe
Pigeons and Doves
- Speckled Pigeon
- Mourning Collared-Dove
- Red-eyed Dove
- Ring-necked Dove
- Laughing Dove
- Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
- Namaqua Dove
Sandgrouse
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse
Bustards
- Kori Bustard
- White-bellied Bustard
- Buff-crested Bustard
- Black-bellied Bustard
Turacos
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
Cuckoos
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- African Cuckoo
- White-browed Coucal
- Klaas’s Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Sombre Nightjar
- Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar
- Slender-tailed Nightjar
Swifts
- Mottled Swift
- Little Swift
- African Palm-Swift
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Black Crake
- Cranes
- Gray Crowned-Crane
Thick-knees
- Water Thick-knee
- Spotted Thick-knee
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
Plovers and Lapwings
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Crowned Lapwing
- Three-banded Plover
Sandpipers and Allies
- Common Sandpiper
- Green Sandpiper
- Common Greenshank
- Wood Sandpiper
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Somali Courser
- Temminck’s Courser
- Double-banded Courser
- Three-banded Courser
- Storks
African Open bill
- Black Stork
- Abdim’s Stork
- Marabou Stork
- Yellow-billed Stork
Anhingas
- African Darter
- Cormorants and Shags
- Long-tailed Cormorant
Hamerkop
- Hamerkop
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Gray Heron
- Black-headed Heron
- Goliath Heron
- Great Egret
- Little Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Squacco Heron
- Striated Heron
- Black-crowned Night-Heron
Ibises and Spoonbills
- African Sacred Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
Secretary-bird
- Secretary bird
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Black-winged Kite
- Scissor-tailed Kite
- African Harrier-Hawk
- Palm-nut Vulture
- Egyptian Vulture
- White-headed Vulture
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Hooded Vulture
- White-backed Vulture
- Rueppell’s Griffon
- Bateleur
- Black-chested Snake-Eagle
- Brown Snake-Eagle
- Martial Eagle
- Long-crested Eagle
- Lesser Spotted Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Booted Eagle
- Tawny Eagle
- Verreaux’s Eagle
- Eastern Chanting-Goshawk
- Gabar Goshawk
- Eurasian Marsh-Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Shikra
- Little Sparrowhawk
- Black Kite
- African Fish-Eagle
- Common Buzzard
- Augur Buzzard
Owls
- African Scops-Owl
- Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
Mouse birds
- Speckled Mousebird
- White-headed Mousebird
- Blue-naped Mousebird
Trogons
- Narina Trogon
Hoopoes
- Eurasian Hoopoe
- African Hoopoe
Wood hoopoes and Scimitar bills
- Green Wood hoopoe
- Violet Wood hoopoe
- Abyssinian Scimitar bill
Hornbills
- African Gray Hornbill
- Northern Red-billed Hornbill
- Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
Kingfishers
- Malachite Kingfisher
- African Pygmy-Kingfisher
- Gray-headed Kingfisher
Bee-eaters
- Little Bee-eater
- Somali Bee-eater
- White-throated Bee-eater
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- European Bee-eater
Rollers
- European Roller
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Rufous-crowned Roller
- Broad-billed Roller
African Barbets
- Red-and-yellow Barbet
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Red-fronted Barbet
- Black-throated Barbet
Honeyguides
- Lesser Honeyguide
- Woodpeckers
- Eurasian Wryneck
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Bearded Woodpecker
- Nubian Woodpecker
Falcons and Caracaras
- Pygmy Falcon
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Sooty Falcon
- Eurasian Hobby
- Lanner Falcon
- Peregrine Falcon
- Taita Falcon
Parrots
- Fischer’s Lovebird
Parrots
- Meyer’s Parrot
- Red-bellied Parrot
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
Wattle-eyes and Batises
- Chinspot Batis
- Pygmy Batis
Bush shrikes
- Brubru Nilaus
- Northern Puff back
- Pringle’s Puff back
- Three-streaked
- Tropical Boubou
- Slate-colored Boubou
- Rosy-patched Bush shrike
- Sulphur-breasted Bush shrike
- Gray-headed Bush shrike
Drongos
- Fork-tailed Drongo
Shrikes
- Isabelline Shrike
- Long-tailed Fiscal
- Taita Fiscal
- Northern Fiscal
- Woodchat Shrike
- White-rumped Shrike
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- Cape Crow
- Pied Crow
- Fan-tailed Raven
- Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice
- Somali Tit
Penduline-Tits
- Mouse-colored Penduline-Tit
Larks
- Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark
- Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark
- Pink-breasted Lark
- Foxy Lark
- Singing Bush lark
- William’s Lark
- Red-winged Lark
- Red-capped Lark
- Somali Short-toed Lark
African Warblers
- Northern Crombec
- Red-faced Crombec
- Somali Crombec
Cisticolas and Allies
- Yellow-vented Eremomela
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela
- Gray Wren-Warbler
- Gray-backed Camaroptera
- Brown-tailed Apalis
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Pale Prinia
- Red-fronted Warbler
- Ashy Cisticola
- Stout Cisticola
- Tiny Cisticola
- Desert Cisticola
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Upcher’s Warbler
- Olive-tree Warbler
- Basra Reed Warbler
- Lesser Swamp Warbler
Swallows
- Rock Martin
- Ethiopian Swallow
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Lesser Striped Swallow
- Common House-Martin
Bulbuls
- Northern Brownbul
- Common Bulbul
Sylviid Warblers, Parrot bills, and Allies
- Banded Parisoma
- White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Pale White-eye
- Laughing thrushes and Allies
- Rufous Chatterer
Oxpeckers
- Red-billed Oxpecker
Starlings
- Wattled Starling
- Violet-backed Starling
- Bristle-crowned Starling
- Magpie Starling
- Black-bellied Starling
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Golden-breasted Starling
- Superb Starling
- Fischer’s Starling
Thrushes and Allies
- African Bare-eyed Thrush
- Old World Flycatchers
- Spotted Flycatcher
- Gambaga Flycatcher
- African Gray Flycatcher
- Pale Flycatcher
- Southern Black-Flycatcher
- Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin
- Red-backed Scrub-Robin
- White-browed Robin-Chat
- Spotted Morning-Thrush
- White-starred Robin
- White-throated Robin
- Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
- African Stonechat
- Northern Anteater-Chat
- Northern Wheatear
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Pied Wheatear
- Brown-tailed Chat
Sunbirds and Spider hunters
- Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird
- Hunter’s Sunbird
- Bronze Sunbird
- Eastern Double-collared Sunbird
- Beautiful Sunbird
- Black-bellied Sunbird
- Purple-banded Sunbird
- Shining Sunbird
- Variable Sunbird
Weavers and Allies
- Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
- White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
- Speckle-fronted Weaver
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
- Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow-Weaver
- Gray-headed Social-Weaver
- Black-capped Social-Weaver
- Red-headed Weaver
- Little Weaver
- Golden Palm Weaver
- Lesser Masked-Weaver
- Vitelline Masked-Weaver
- Speke’s Weaver
- Black-headed Weaver
- Chestnut Weaver
- Red-billed Quelea
- Fire-fronted Bishop
- Yellow Bishop
- White-winged Widowbird
- Long-tailed Widowbird
- Jackson’s Widowbird
Waxbills and Allies
- Gray-headed Negrita
- Crimson-rumped Waxbill
- Black-cheeked Waxbill
- Red-cheeked Cordonbleu
- Blue-capped Cordonbleu
- Purple Grenadier
- Green-winged Pytilia
- Orange-winged Pytilia
- Red-billed Fire finch
- African Fire finch
- Jameson’s Fire finch
- Cut-throat
- Quail finch
- Gray-headed Silverbill
- African Silverbill
Indigo birds
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Eastern Paradise-Whydah
- Steel-blue Whydah
- Straw-tailed Whydah
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
- Somali Sparrow
- Kenya Rufous Sparrow
- Northern Gray-headed Sparrow
- Parrot-billed Sparrow
- Chestnut Sparrow
- Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Western Yellow Wagtail
- African Pied Wagtail
- Plain-backed Pipit
- Golden Pipit
- Yellow-throated Longclaw
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies
- White-bellied Canary
- Brimstone Canary
- Yellow-crowned Canary
Old World Buntings
- Golden-breasted Bunting
- Somali Bunting
BEST TIME FOR BIRDING IN SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
If you are a bird lover, the best time to visit Samburu National Reserve for a birding safari is during the wet season in the months of November, April and May, in these months many migratory birds arrive in the park.