Amboseli National Park birds
Amboseli National Park birds
Amboseli National Park birds are one of the key attractions that attract travellers to the park especially birders. The park is famous for the African large mammals especially the Elephants which are over 1500 in the park. The dusty red Elephants are found playing along the shores of Lake Amboseli. Before, little did many traveller knew that the park is gifted with over 420 bird species. Today the park is recogonised as birding paradise that receives more migratory birds across the world during the rainy season. The park is dominated by the wide range of vegetation habitats that range from the swamps along the shores of the lake to the rough mountains at the centre of the park. The park habitats include Lake Amboseli, swamps, woodlands, open savannah and the forest Galleries. The thick thickets are the home of the little birds which like singing while in a hide.
Amboseli national park birds are distributed across the park equally with different bird species found at its habitants. The park is composed of five different habitats hence creating good grounds for the long list of birds at the park. The five habitats at the park include The lake, open savannah grassland, Acacia woodlands, swamps, the dry lake pans, rocky and busy vegetation cover. Amboseli national park birds also include nearly Endemic birds that can be seen also in the neighbouring tourist destinations but in low numbers, for example, the Taveta Golden Weaver. The park has not yet registered any endemic birds though scientist foresees some birds going to Endemic status in the next few year. The large swamp at the park is an habitant for the water associated birds for example flamingos, Egrets, African Jacana, Pelicans, Crowned Cranes, Herons and many more. The park receives a large population of flamingos during the rainy season that starts from March to May, November.
Other bird species are those that are inhabited or leave in open grassland areas as well as the woodlands. These are the most common and form the long list of bird species at the park. Some of the Amboseli national park birds include the Rufous Chatterer, Long-toed Lapwing, Pangani Longclaw, Rufous-bellied heron, Spike –heeled lark, Yellow-necked spurfowl, Von der decken’s hornbill, Hartlaub’s bustard, Eurasian thick-knee, Dickinson’s kestrel, Common redshank, African Swamphen, Secretary bird, Ostriches, Love bird, White-bellied go way, starlings, Steel-blue whydah, and many more.
Unlike animals, birds like staying in remote quite places at the park with thick vegetation. Each bird leaves in the habitant that fits its characteristics with rare occasions for you to get bad in different habitats. Birds are very colourful, male birds are always more beautiful than the female birds since this helps them to attract females. Birds take a different twist in relationship and identification which is almost the opposite of animals. The male birds are small in size in most cases in bird species but very active. The birds have different calls according to the season for example during the breeding season the birds especially the male change the colour and sing differently, they also use different calls in case of any attack from the predator or an enemy or calling the young ones.
Male birds have to play most tricks in order to win the female bird for example in weavers the male weaver has to construct many houses and the female ones come to check if it admires and enters that will be your wife hence a male weave can have as many female weavers as possible depending on its ability to construct the houses.
Birding safaris is one of the popular safaris to Amboseli. Unlike game, viewing birding is done during the rainy season when the birds are breeding. It is very easy to see more birds during their breeding season than any time of the year. At this time most of them leave near, they move in pairs and their calls don’t stop as each looks for a mate. During the rainy season also Amboseli national park birds are migratory birds and being found along the migratory route the park receives more migratory birds. The park receives migratory birds across Africa and some countries from Europe. The other advantage of visiting Amboseli national park during the rainy season is that the travellers at the park are few hence the park is quite. Birding is excellently done when the destination is calm.
For a successful birding safari, the birder has to be patient, well equipped with the birding parking lists. You also have to use a reputable operator with a well-experienced birding guide. Birding safaris are not like animal safaris which can be done in short safaris. Birding must take some good time if a good number of birds must be seen. It should be slow but sure scandal hence needing a birding guide who knows the great spots at the park where specific bird species are found.
