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This itinerary visits the main birding and wildlife sites of incredibly rich and diverse Kenya in just 19 days--from the Aberdare Mountains to the lakes and surrounding woodlands of the Great Rift Valley, the arid north at Samburu, rainforest at Kakamega, and the world-renowned grasslands of Masai Mara.
In Nairobi and the central highlands, we should see well over 150 species of birds, including a variety of raptors, lapwings, mousebirds, cuckooshrikes, greenbuls, warblers, and many gorgeous starlings and sunbirds. We'll also spend a night next to a flood-lit mineral-lick and waterhole where African Savanna Elephant, Cape Buffalo, and Bushbuck are common, and in the surrounding forest Scaly Spurfowl, Hartlaub's Turaco, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, and Rueppell's Robin-Chat occur. Our targets in the arid acacia country of Samburuland will vary from guineafowl, bustards, and sandgrouse to colorful barbets, bee-eaters, bushshrikes, weavers, and waxbills--plus several special "northern" mammals, including Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx, and Gerenuk. In the Rift Valley a stop at Lake Baringo should bring Goliath Heron, Three-banded Courser, Bristle-crowned Starling, Beautiful Sunbird, and Green-winged Pytilia (just a few of the choices!), and then three nights in famed Kakamega Forest will feature another feast of new birds (White-spotted Flufftail, Eastern Yellow-billed Barbet, Great Blue Turaco, African Broadbill...). What a contrast coming from dry, open country to walk quietly through lush forest in search of so many of these fabulous birds!
At Lake Nakuru both Lesser and Greater flamingos occur, with a wealth of other waterbirds too. To wrap up our tour, we'll fly to Masai Mara, a land of immense vistas--vast rolling plains, rounded hills, scattered acacia woodlands, and luxuriant riparian woodland along the Mara River. In every direction are herds of ungulates, and with luck we could encounter a Leopard, a family of Cheetahs, or a pride of hunting Lions. Birds vary from Common Ostrich, Secretarybird, Temminck's Courser, and Southern Ground-Hornbill on the plains to Saddle-billed and Woolly-necked storks in the marshes. Ross's and Schalow's turacos inhabit the riparian woodlands, and on the western escarpment we'll look for noisy Red-throated Wrynecks, the localized Bare-faced Go-away-bird, or, by night, African Wood-Owl. This is Kenya at its best!
Note: The limit for this tour is just six participants. Transportation will be primarily in 4x4 pop-top Toyota Landcruisers or Land Rovers, especially adapted for wildlife viewing. Each participant will have a window seat, and there is room for everyone to stand up through the open roof. We will be staying in hotels and lodges that offer an amazing degree of comfort and convenience in some of the finest birding habitats. In Masai Mara we'll travel in an open-sided 4X4 vehicle--for the ultimate wildlife viewing.
Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.