Birds of Amboseli National Park

Amboseli is a birding paradise, birds of Amboseli national park is a key attraction at the park second to animals. However when talking of Amboseli many travellers regard it as the destination for big game especially the Elephants which are found in large numbers. The park hosts over 1200 Elephants which like rolling and spraying themselves with the red dusty soils at the park. The birds of Amboseli national park are not famous yet the park hosts over 420 bird species. The park hosts both permanent residence birds as well as the migratory birds. The park has 40 species of birds of prey, with a record of 42 bird species of the Somali-Masai Biome out of 94 species that are found in Kenya. The location of the park near the coastal area of Kenya has made the park to be the breeding grounds of many bird species. Its also the migratory route for more European birds that transit through the park hence breaking their long flights with a break at this park.

Amboseli national park is Kenya’s premium park that is located near the Tanzania border with Kenya. The park is found just 3 to 4 hours drive south of the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Its now one of the top birding destination in the country alongside the scenic clear views of the African highest mountain that is Mt Kilimanjaro. Our safari packages to this wonderful park is not only for the large herds of Elephants but also a colourful species of birds.

The thicket vegetation at the park which is mixed with open savannah grassland has contributed drastically to the wide bird species at the park. Amboseli national park is made up of five special birding habitants those are The Acacia woodlands, open savannah grassland, the dry lake pans, swamps and finally the rocky and bushy vegetation. These five different habitants inhabits different bird species hence creating good diversification of bird species at the park. The long list of birds of Amboseli national park can be easily achieved through patient long birding safaris to Amboseli national park.

Unlike game viewing where guests can even do one day Amboseli safari, birding needs a minimum of 3 days to explore the best of the birds of Amboseli national park.

The birds of Amboseli national park include the rare birds that can easily be easily seen only in Kenya. Some of the most common endemic birds in Amboseli national park include the Taveta Golden Weaver bird. However its approved that the park has not yet registered ant endemic bird species though there is fore sight of some in the near future as researched by the scientists.

Birding in Amboseli national park is good throughout the year however the best timing is encouraged due to changes on weather or climatic condition across the world. Most of the birds of Amboseli national park are permanent residents. The list is subdivided in to two groups those are the water birds also known as the aquatic birds. These are composed of two more groups with are semi aquatic birds and pure aquatic birds. Amboseli national park hosts waterfowl birds sometimes called Anseriformes which include the ducks, geese, swans, magpie geese, screamers and many others. Another category is the Shorebirds which are birds that leave along the shores of the lake or on swamps like Waders, papyrus gonolek, order Charadriiformes and others. The low lying swamps together with the season waters at the park are the big habitants and attraction of colourful birds. The places are all easily accessed along the good track roads in the park making birders to enjoy more while on their birding exhaustion at the park. Other birds of Amboseli national park which leave along the water are the flamingos, herons, pelicans, storks, egrets, Scared ibis, spoonbills, king fishers, cranes and many more.

The second category of birds of Amboseli national park are the land birds which can also be categorised in to two those are birds of prey. The birds of prey are the birds that feed on flesh as their food. The park boosts with a good number of species for the birds of prey with Eagles taking the largest portion. Amboseli hosts over 40 species of birds of prey. Some of these birds of prey include: Fish Eagle, Secretary bird, Martial eagle, owls, Vultures and many more. Other birds in Amboseli national park are ground birds like Ostriches, Kori bustards, francolin, Guinea fowl and many others.

Unlike game viewing, birding is done during the rainy months from March to May and November to early December. This is the time birds are breeding in the park and it hosts more sea birds that come to the park for breeding. On the same months Amboseli national park receives migratory birds from different parts of the world. Please check out on our large number of sorted birding itineraries that range from 3 days and above with experienced birding guides.

The park hosts the colorful array of birds that draws a large number of birders across the world to enjoy birding at the park. The walking safaris at the park are ideal for the birders as they move quietly in the thickets of the park looking for the wonderful creatures sing at the branches of trees. Check on our long list of birding parking so that you achieve the best birding experience. To highlight some of the parking lists include Binoculars, nature-friendly clothing, hat, long sleeved shirts, good camera, pointers, and others.