Birds of Lake Naivasha national park 

Birds of Lake Naivasha national park 

Birds of Lake Naivasha national park 

Birds of Lake Naivasha national park: Lake Naivasha National Park is hoven for birders destination on Kenya safaris that supports abundant birdlife such as the striking African Fish Eagle. The park is dominated by papyrus swamps which are habitant to several specialty birds like Greater Swamp Warbler, acacia woodland is home to various bird’s species and Black and white colobus monkeys. It is the same location to Ellesmere center which was the former home of joy and George Adamson who wrote the bestselling book. This Ellesmere center is located nearby the park which provides wonderful birding habitant. Lake Naivasha national park is located 13 kilometers away from Hell’s Gate National Park where birds like Bearded Vulture and Verreaux’s Eagle can be viewed around the towering cliffs.

The park was gazette in 1995, on an area covering over 140 kilometers squared. It is managed by Kenya Wildlife Service. Lake Naivasha can be easily accessed by the Naivasha –Nairobi Road covering about 1:30 hours’ drive to reach the main destination.

Lake Naivasha national park is a truly humbling destination for birding on Kenya safaris. That hosts more than 400 bird species and are composed of endemic species, near threatened species, forested species and savannah species and for easy identification of these birds have been specified as listed below; 

Ducks

Ducks species in Lake naivasha national park include Fulvous Whistling-Duck, white-backed Duck, Egyptian goose, Garganey, Yellow-billed duck, Hottentot teal, Red-billed duck, Southern pochard, Northern pintail, Tufted duck and Maccoa duck.

Birds of Lake Naivasha national park 
Birds of Lake Naivasha national park 

Guinea fowl

Guinea fowl species in Lake naivasha national park include Helmeted Guinea fowl.

Pheasants, Grouse and Allies

Pheasants, Grouse and Allies species in Lake naivasha national park include Coqui francolin and common quail.

Flamingo 

Flamingo species in Lake naivasha national park include greater flamingo and lesser flamingo.

Grebes 

Grebes species in Lake naivasha national park include little grebe

Pigeons and Doves

Pigeons and Doves species in Lake naivasha national park include speckled pigeon, mourning collared-dove, red-eyed-dove, ring-necked –dove, laughing-dove, emerald-spotted wood-dove, Namaqua-dove among others.

Cuckoos

Cuckoos species in Lake naivasha national park include Red-chested cuckoos, black cuckoos, common cuckoo, white-browed caudal, great spotted cuckoos, klaas’s cuckoo, dideric cuckoo.

Nightjars and Allies

Nightjars and Allies species in Lake naivasha national park include Eurasian nightjar.

Swifts

Swifts species in Lake Naivasha national park include Common swift, Nyanza swift, horas swift.

Rails, Gallinules and Coots

Rails, Gallinules and Coots in Lake naivasha national park include African Rail, African crake, lesser moorhen, Eurasian moorhen, Red-knobbed coot, African swamp hen, striped crake and black crake.

Cranes 

Cranes species in Lake naivasha national park include gray crowned-crane.

Thick-knees

Thick-knees species in Lake naivasha national park include Eurasian thick-knee many others.

Stilts and Avocets

Stilts and Avocets in Lake naivasha national park include black-winged stilt and pied avocet.

Plovers and Lapwings

Plovers and lapwing’s species in Lake naivasha national park include black-bellied plover, long-toed lapwing, blacksmith lapwing, spur-winged lapwing, seneral lapwing, crowned lapwing, lesser sand –plovers, Caspian plover, kittlitz’s plover, common ringed plover, little ringed plover and three-banded plover.

Jacanas

Jacanas species in Lake naivasha national park include African jacana.

Sandpipers and Allies

Sandpipers and Allies species in Lake naivasha national park include Whimbrel, bar-tailed Godwit, Black-Tailed-God wit, ruddy turnstone, ruff, curlew sandpiper, temminck’s stint, sanderling, little stint, Terek sandpiper, great snipe, common snipe, African snipe, common sandpiper, green sandpiper, spotted redshank, common greenshank, marsh sandpiper, wood sandpiper and common redshank.

Gulls, Terns and Skimmers 

Gulls, Terns and Skimmers in Lake naivasha national park include Gray-hooded Gull, black-headed Gull, lesser black-backed Gull, gull-billed tern, whiskered tern, white- winged tern and African skimmer.

Storks

Storks species in Lake naivasha national park include African open bill, black stork, white stork, saddle-billed stork, marabou stork, yellow-billed stork.

Cormorants and Shags

Cormorants and Shags in Lake naivasha national park include long-tailed cormorant and great cormorant.

Pelicans

Pelicans species in Lake naivasha national park include Great white pelican and pink-backed pelican.

Hamerkop

Hermerkop species in Lake naivasha national park include Hamerkop.

Herons, Egrets and Bitterns

Herons, Egret and Bitterns in Lake naivasha national park include Gray heron, black-headed heron, goliath heron, purple heron, great egrets, intermediate egret, little egret, black heron, cattle egret, squacco heron, striated heron, black-crowned night-heron.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Ibises and spoonbills in Lake Naivasha national park include Glossy Ibis, African sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, Eurasian spoonbill and African spoonbill.

Secretary-bird

Secretary bird species in Lake Naivasha national park include secretary bird.

Hawks, Eagles and Kites

Hawks, Eagles and Kites in Lake Naivasha national park include black-winged kite, European honey-buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, lesser spotted Eagle, greater spotted eagle, Wahlberg’s eagle, booted eagle, steppe eagle, imperial eagle, verreaux’s eagle, Grasshopper-Buzzards, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, African Marsh-Harrier, little sparrow hawk, black kite, African fish –Eagle, Augur Buzzard, Pallid Harrier.

Owls

Owls species in Lake Naivasha national park include Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl.

Moose birds 

Mouse bird species in Lake Naivasha national park include speckled moosebirds.

Hoopoes 

Hoopoes species in Lake Naivasha national park include African Hoopoes.

Wood hoopoes and Scimitar bills

Wood hoopoes and Scrimitarbills species in Lake Naivasha national park include Green wood hoopoes, violet wood hoopoe and Common scimitar bill.

Hornbills 

Hornbills species in Lake Naivasha national park include Crowned Hornbill, African gray hornbill.

Kingfishers 

Kingfisher species in Lake Naivasha national park include Malachite kingfisher, African pygmy-kingfisher, Gray-headed kingfisher, giant king fisher, pied kingfisher.

Bee-eaters

Bee-eater’s species in Lake Naivasha national park include White-fronted bee-eater, white-throated bee-eater, Madagascar bee-eater, European bee-eater.

Roller species in Lake Naivasha national park include European Roller and Lilac-breasted Roller.

African Barbets

African Barbets species in Lake Naivasha national park include White-headed Barbet.

Honeyguides

Honeyguides species in Lake Naivasha national park include Green-backed Honeyguide, Wahlberg’s Honeyguide, lesser Honeyguide, greater Honeyguide.

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers species in Lake Naivasha national park include African gray woodpecker and Nubian woodpecker.

Falcons and Caracaras

Falcons and Caracaras species in Lake Naivasha national park include lesser kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, greater kestrel, Amur falcon, Eleonora’s falcon, Sooty falcon, Eurasian Hobby, Saker falcon.

Parrots

Parrots species in Lake Naivasha national park include Fischer’s lovebird and yellow-collared lovebird.

Old World Orioles

Old World Orioles in Lake Naivasha national park include Eurasian Golden Orioles and African black-headed Orioles.

Wattle-eyes and Batises

Wattle-eyes and Batises in Lake Naivasha national park include Chin spot batis.

Bush shrikes

Bush shrike’s species in Lake Naivasha national park include Brubru, tropical boubou, Sulphur-breasted bush shrikes.

Drongos 

Drongos species in Lake Naivasha national park include fork-tailed Drongo.

Monarch Flycatchers

Monarch Flycatchers species in Lake Naivasha national park include African Paradise –Flycatcher.

Shrikes

Shrikes species in Lake Naivasha national park include Red-backed shrikes, Isabel line shrike, Lesser gray shrike, gray-backed fiscal and Northern fiscal.

Crows, Jays and Magpies

Crows, jays and Magpies species in Lake Naivasha national park include Cape Crow and Pied crow.

Tits, Chickadees and Titmice

Tits, Chickadees and Titmice species in Lake Naivasha national park include White-bellied Tit.

Penduline-Tits

Penduline-Tits species in Lake Naivasha national park include Mouse-colored penduline Tit and African penduline-Tit.

Larks

Larks species in Lake Naivasha national park include Rufous-napped Lark, Red-capped Lark.

Nicator

Nicator species in Lake Naivasha national park include Eastern Nicator.

African Warblers

African Warblers species in Lake Naivasha national park include Northern Crombec and Red-faced crombec.

Cisticolas and Allies 

Cisticolas and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park Gray-backed camaroptera, buff-bellied warbler, yellow-breasted Apalis, gray apalis, tawny-flanked prinia, gray-capped warbler, rattling cisticola, stout cisticola, winding cisticola, zitting cisticola.

Reed Warblers and Allies

Reed Warbler and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, African yellow-warbler, Olive-tree warbler, Sedge warbler, Marsh warbler, Eurasian Reed warbler, Basra Reed warbler, lesser swamp warbler, greater swamp warbler and great reed warbler.

Swallows

Swallows species in Lake Naivasha national park include Plain martin, bank swallow, banded martin, barn swallow, Angola swallow, red-rumped swallow, lesser striped swallow and Common House-Martin.

Bulbuls

Bulbuls species in Lake Naivasha national park include Cabanis’s Greenbul and Common bulbul.

Leaf Warblers

Leaf Warblers species in Lake Naivasha national park include Willow warbler and brown woodland-warbler.

Silvia Warbler, Parrotbills and Allies

Silvis warbler, Parrotbills and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include African hill babbler, Eurasian blackcap, Garden warbler and Greater whitethroat.

White-eyes, Yuhinas and Allies

White-eyes, Yuhinas and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include Kikuyu white-eye and African yellow white-eye.

Laughing thrushes and Allies

Laughing thrushes and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include Black-lored babbler and Arrow-marked babbler.

Oxpeckers 

Oxpeckers species in Lake Naivasha national park include Red-billed Oxpecker.

Starlings 

Starlings species in Lake Naivasha national park include Wattled starling, Red-winged starling, Waller’s starling, Hildebrandt’s starling, Rueppell’s starling, Superb starling, Lesser blue-eared starling and Greater blue-eared starling.

Thrushes and Allies

Thrushes and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include Abyssinian Thrush.

Sunbirds and Spider hunters

Sunbirds and Spider hunter’s species in Lake Naivasha national park include Collared Sunbird, Amethyst sunbird, Scarlet-chested sunbird, bronze sunbird, golden-winged sunbird, red-chested sunbird and Variable sunbird.

Waxbills and Allies

Waxbills and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include Common Waxbill, purple grenadier, red-billed fire finch and African fire finch.

Indigo bird’s species in Lake Naivasha national park include Pin-tailed Whydah and village indigo bird.

Old World Sparrows

Old World Sparrows species in Lake Naivasha national park include House Sparrow, Kenya Rufous sparrow, Chestnut sparrow.

Wagtails and Pipits 

Wagtails and Pipits species in Lake Naivasha national park include Cape wagtail, western yellow wagtail, African pied wagtail, white wagtail, African pipit, Tree pipit, Red-throated pipits, Sharpe’s Long claw, Yellow-throated long claw.

Birds of Lake Naivasha national park 
Birds of Lake Naivasha national park

Finches, Euphonias and Allies

Finches, Euphonias and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include African Citril, white-billied Canary, Brimstone canary, streaky seedeater, Thick illed seedeater.

Old World Flycatchers 

Old World Flycatcher species in Lake Naivasha national park include Spotted Flycatcher, African gray flycatcher, white-eyed slaty-flycatcher, cape robin-chat, Rueppelli’s robin-chat, white-browed robin-chat, white-starred robin, brown-chested Alethe, thrush nightingale, common nightingale, common redstart, rufous-tailed rock-thrush, whinchat, African stonechat, northern anteater-chat, northern wheatear, capped wheatear, Isabel line wheatear, pied wheatear.

Weaver and Allies

Weaver and Allies species in Lake Naivasha national park include White-browed Sparrow-weaver, red-headed weaver, baglafecht weaver, spectacled weaver, holub’s golden-weaver, lesser masked-weaver, speke’s weaver, white-winged widowbird. 

Best Time for birdwatching

Bird watching safari in Lake Naivasha national park is all year around but the perfect time for bird watching in the park is from November to April when migratory bird species are present in the park and June to October can be the best time for game viewing when the grassland is short due to much sunshine and during this period you can get interrupted with sighting of the colorful birds.

book a trip