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WESTERN KENYA & THE MASAI MARA

Africa's Finest Bird & Wildlife Experience

Birdquest's Western Kenya & Masai Mara birding tour is one of two classic Kenya birdwatching and wildlife trips that we have carefully crafted from our many years of experience in the country with the richest avifauna in Africa, not to mention its extraordinary mammals. If you only plan to visit Kenya once, this tour would be our recommendation, as it combines a huge bird list (including plenty of specialities) with magnificent game viewing in the famous Masai Mara.

Sunday 27th October - Saturday 9th November 2013
(14 days)

Leaders: Nik Borrow and local bird-guides

Group Size Limit: 11

Kenya is a fantastic destination for both serious birding and amazing wildlife encounters. On this extraordinary Birdquest you can expect both a huge birdlist and a remarkable variety of mammals! This superb Heuglin's Courser was photographed at Lake Baringo (Pete Morris)

Kenya! No superlatives are sufficient to do justice to this middle-sized country that straddles the Equator, for Kenya offers not just the best birding in Africa but probably the best birding on earth! The country is so rich in birds that it is impossible to do justice to its enormous avifauna in a single tour of two or three weeks, so we have two two itineraries (that can often be combined if desired) that provide the most comprehensive cover of Kenya offered by any bird tour company.

This splendid tour to the northern and eastern regions of Kenya is deliberately positioned at one of the best times of year for seeing both Kenya’s many avian specialities and numerous Palearctic migrants in mainly good weather conditions. Wonderful, easy birding, fantastic wildlife viewing and mostly good to excellent accommodations and food all add to the attractions.

Almost 1100 species have already been recorded from this one country, far more than from any equivalent area on the continent. Kenya’s remarkably rich avifauna is a direct consequence of a highly varied topography combined with an extraordinary diversity of climatic conditions and habitats (including virtually everything from dry savannas to verdant forests, from snow-capped volcanoes to rich grasslands, and from deserts to great lakes). Like some of the countries of South America, Kenya exhibits great changes in the composition of its birdlife over very short distances, but unlike much of South America birding here is delightfully easy, with many open and bird-rich habitats to enjoy.

Whilst seeking the endemics, near-endemics and other regional specialities of the western and southwestern regions of this scenically spectacular country, we shall also encounter an extraordinary number of other bird species, including huge ostriches and tiny estrildid finches, a marvellous selection of birds of prey and waterbirds, strange-looking turacos, mousebirds, hornbills and barbets, gaudy starlings and weavers, confusing cisticolas, jewel-like sunbirds and much, much more besides.

Not only can one observe a huge variety of birds here within a relatively small geographical area but, as is so often the case in Africa, it is such a pleasure to find so many species which are quite tame and remarkably approachable. Although this is a strongly bird-orientated safari, we hardly need to say that many of the best places for birds and mammals overlap and we shall certainly see plenty of the latter. For the birder, Kenya’s mammalian riches are an additional attraction which turns a visit to this incomparable country from something which would already be one of the world’s greatest birding experiences into something unique.

We will travel in 4x4 Land Rovers or Toyota Landcruisers that have been specially adapted for safari work, with large roof hatches that make observation and photography easy. These vehicles are a huge improvement on the minibuses still used in Kenya by some bird tour companies, being more comfortable, more spacious (with a much larger opening in the roof) and, most importantly, far better able to cope with difficult road conditions. They cost a lot more than a minibus, and this must be reflected in the tour price, but we have never met anyone who did not consider these excellent vehicles as worth every extra penny!

Our travels start at Nairobi, but we shall pause only briefly in the Kenyan capital before heading to a nearby well-forested escarpment whose leafy haven provides shelter for the elusive Abbott’s Starling at one of its most regular localities.

Descending into the Great Rift Valley, one cannot fail to be enthralled by the huge numbers of Lesser Flamingos that are usually present at Lake Nakuru. Grey-crested Helmet-shrikes also occur in the park and we have our first opportunity to look for them here.

A little further north, below a beautiful backdrop of imposing basalt cliffs, stretches Lake Baringo. The environs of the lake are home to some exciting specialities including Heuglin’s Courser, Hemprich’s and Jackson’s Hornbills, and Northern Masked Weaver.

Moving still further west, we come to the verdant landscapes of western Kenya where we shall visit the bird-rich Kakamega Forest. As well as sharing many exciting species with the forests of Central Africa, these luxuriant forests are also home to Turner’s Eremomela, Uganda Woodland Warbler and Blue-headed Bee-eater, species that can all be difficult to find elsewhere.

An interesting days birding will take us through areas of humid grassland and cultivation with scattered trees that hold a number of western Kenyan specialities, while an overnight stop by the shores of Lake Victoria should produce the colourful Papyrus Gonolek and other lakeside species more normally associated with Uganda.

The highlight of our safari will surely be our visit to the rolling grasslands of the Masai Mara, Kenya’s finest wildlife reserve and a superb birding locality in its own right. It is also the best place in the country in which to enjoy the magnificent spectacle of the herds of gnus (or wildebeest), zebras and gazelles and their attendant carnivores (Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards), much celebrated in the television programme ‘Big Cat Diary’.

Leaving the Mara, we shall make an effort to find Karamoja Apalis, a little-known species only recently discovered to occur in Kenya.

Lake Naivasha is a well-situated base to explore the Aberdare National Park. The attractive Sharpe’s Longclaw can be found on the lower slopes and in the park itself we shall look for Jackson’s Francolin, Aberdare Cisticola and Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird.

After we return to Nairobi, a final day out along the Magadi road will give us a superb variety of thorn-bush birds, including a good chance of the interesting local form of the Pringle’s Puffback.

By the time we have to return home we will have watched an almost unbelievable variety of birds, including many specialities, and numerous mammals amidst some wonderful scenery.

Birdquest has operated tours to Kenya since 1982.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are of normal Birdquest standard throughout and are often wonderfully situated and of a very high quality. We will be using specially adapted, roomy 4x4 Land Rovers or Toyota Landcruisers with large open hatches for wildlife viewing. Road conditions are very variable.

Walking: The walking effort is easy throughout. Walking is restricted to a few specified areas in the national parks/game reserves. This is of little hindrance and indeed we can approach many large birds and mammals far more closely in a vehicle than we could on foot. Everywhere else we are free to walk as much as we wish.

Climate: Most days at low and moderate altitudes are warm or hot, dry and sunny, although it is sometimes warm or cool and overcast. At the highest altitudes in the Aberdares conditions range from cool to quite cold. There may be some rain at times.

Bird/Mammal Photography: Opportunities are very good.

Linking Birdquests: This tour can be linked with Northern & Eastern Kenya to form Ultimate Kenya, probably the world's ultimate bird tour.

Tour Price: (provisional): $6300 Nairobi/Nairobi. Price includes all transportation, all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: (provisional); $842.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

As well as localized specialities, Kenya offers some incredible spectacles, such as the flamingos and pelicans of Lake Nakuru (Pete Morris)

This endearing Cheetah cub was photographed in the Masai Mara (Pete Morris)

The Masai Mara at dawn. This fantastic destination will undoubtedly be the highlight of our superb tour! (Pete Morris)

View Map Download Detailed Itinerary 756kb

Report From July 2005/August 2005 Report From July 2007/August 2007 Report From October 2008/November 2008 Report From October 2011/November 2011 101 photos View Gallery Photos From WESTERN KENYA & THE MASAI MARA

With so many species of birds and mammals, there is only room for a few highlights from our Western Kenya & Masai Mara tour here! These include a Montane Nightjar by day (Pete Morris)

... the localized Hemprich's Hornbill, pictured here at Lake Baringo (Pete Morris)

... and Turner's Eremomela, a species virtually restricted to the fabulous Kakamega Forest (Pete Morris)

As well as the specialities, you'll see a huge number of widespread African species such as this Goliath Heron (Pete Morris)

The huge Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill (Pete Morris)

The colourful Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater (Pete Morris)

The delightful, miniscule Malachite Kingfisher (Pete Morris)

Even more spectacular is the fantastic Blue-headed Bee-eater, a species which is perhaps easier to see in the fabulous Kakamega Forest than anywhere else (Pete Morris)

Southern Ground Hornbills patrol the open plains of the Masai Mara (Pete Morris)

White-headed Barbets (Pete Morris)

Mammals are a major feature of Kenya, as well as the birds. The big cats will be high on our priorities. Who could fail to be impressed by a big male Lion! (Pete Morris)

African Elephants are another favourite (Pete Morris)

The attractive Grant's Gazelle is present at many sites (Pete Morris)

A couple of Masai boys posing for the group, no doubt wondering what on earth we were up to! (Pete Morris)

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