Destination Overview
One of the attractions of Kenya's birding tours is the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which is truly a refuge for birders. However, the reserve has documented over 570 different bird species, including over 60 different raptor species. The reserve contains a wide variety of birding habitats, including savannah grasslands, riverine areas, plains along escarpments, and rift valleys. The reserve is home to the largest bird species, the ostrich, along with migratory bird species that can be viewed from November to February and from June to July each year.
As an endemic bird area, Masai Mara has all the three of Serengeti Plains endemics and one of the eight species of the Kenya Mountains Endemic Bird Areas that occur in Kenya. Seven globally threatened species were recorded here; they include the Madagascar Pond-Heron, Pallid Harrier, Jackson’s Widowbird, Red-throated Tit, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, Corncrake, and Lesser Kestrel, other common species seen here include Ostriches ,Kori bustard ,Hamer kop ,Marabou ,Hadada Ibis ,Sacred Ibis ,Rappel Vulture ,Egyptian Vulture, African fish Eagle ,Tawny Eagle ,secretary bird, Sooty chat ,yellow billed stork ,Great Egrets ,Long tailed car mount ,Woolly necked stork ,Tabora cist cola ,Swahili sparrow ,silver bird ,Rufous bellied heron ,Red-throated fit, Lazy cist cola ,Giant king fisher ,Africa wool owl ,Abdim’s stork ,African fin foot ,Hooper and wood hoopoes ,horn bills ,barbets and tinkers birds ,honey guides ,brown throated sand Martin ,spur winged goose ,Egyptian Goose ,Comb Duck ,Northern pintail ,Red billed teal ,white-faced whistling duck ,African spoonbill ,Glossy Ibis ,Marabou stork ,Little white stork ,African Open bill stork ,Yellow-billed stork ,purple Heron ,Dwarf Bittern ,Common squacco-Heron ,Rufous bellied Heron ,Goliath Heron ,Black headed Heron and many others which can be encountered on Maasai Mara National Reserve –birding tour.
It is also renown of its exceptional population of lions, cheetahs, African leopards, African bush elephants many more plus the great migration of blue wildebeest which has resounded the reserve worldwide.
Essentials To Carry On Maasai Mara Birding Safari
These are the essentials to carry with on birding safari to Maasai Mara, they include pairs of binoculars, clear cameras with enough batteries, mineral water bottle, safari guide books, first aid box, rubber shoes, insect repellent among others a traveler might include in his traveling bag.
Best Time To Do Birding Safaris
The best time to do birding safari in Maasai Mara is throughout the year, though the year has two seasons that is dry and wet season. And the best way to see variety of bird species is during wet season when the migratory bird species are in movement either in breeding or incubation zones. Wet seasons usually occurs in November to April when they migrate from Europe and North Africa arrive. From months of June to October these can be dry season in general good for wildlife viewing.
