Destination
Nairobi National ParkOverview
Are you looking for a low-cost Kenyan birding tour? Do you want a private birding excursion or do you already know which species you want to see? Do you like to take your time or must you hurry to obtain that bird picture? We do, however, take the time to listen to you and comprehend how you would like your birding excursion to go.
Budget-conscious birders who want to observe and record a significant number of Kenyan birds without breaking the bank can choose the 6 Days Kenya birding package. Nairobi National Park, Manguo Swamp, Gatamaiyu Forest, Lake Elementeita, and Lake Baringo are just a few of Kenya's breath-taking birdwatching locations that will be covered by the affordable birding tour. A few of the Great Rift Valley lakes will be explored during the 6 Days Kenya Budget Birdwatching Tour. The region has some of the highest bird diversity in the world and is home to 13 bird species that are threatened globally. With up to 4 million Lesser Flamingos migrating between the shallow lakes for the majority of the year, Kenya is a refuge for extensive birding excursions thanks to its great natural diversity.
The Western Kenya Circuit, which includes areas like Mount Elgon, Saiwa National Park, Kongelai Escarpment, Kakamega Forest, Busia Grasslands, and Lake Victoria, can be included in the six-day budget birding trip to Kenya. While you might want to pack as many bird species as you can into your trip, many of our affordable birding itineraries allow you to pick and choose your places, making a birdwatching vacation to Kenya totally customized to your preferences. No matter if you are a "twitcher" or a leisure birder, our affordable Kenya birding tours are very beneficial and entertaining for you.
Prices Inclusive Of
Park fees (For non-residents)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
All Taxes/VAT
Prices Exclusive Of
Tips
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Tour Activities
Tour activities will depend on the location we visit.
Tour Schedule
Day 1: Nairobi National Park
The birding tour gets underway early in the morning with a visit to the well-known Nairobi National Park to scout out some of the top birding paths. One of the best and busiest national parks in East Africa for day birding trips, Nairobi National Park is a birdwatching gem. This tiny gem in Kenya's capital city is so incredibly wildlife-rich, with a mouthwatering variety of birds. You won't find this many birds, mammals, or other great varieties of nature in such a little region so close to a large city that is expanding exponentially anywhere else. On a tour of Nairobi National Park's bird habitat, you can see the magnificent African Crowned Eagle, Kori Bustard, Bateleur, Secretary Bird, Martial Eagle, and African Fish Eagle up close black rhinos, lions, leopards, and cheetahs hunting, as well as various butterfly species and other fascinating insects.
Bird species in Nairobi National Park: Masaai Ostrich, Helmeted Guineafowl, Coqui Francolin, Harlequin Quail, White-faced Whistling Duck, Spur-winged Goose, Pygmy Falcon, Lanner Falcon, White-backed Vulture, Ruppell’s Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Bateleur, Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Crowned Eagle, Kori Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Black-bellied bustard, Hartlaub’s Bustard, African Finfoot, Great Painted Snipe, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, African Green Pigeon, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Jacobin Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Spotted Eagle Owl,
Day 2: Manguo/Gatamaiyu Forest
Manguo Ponds: Only 40 minutes separate Manguo Pond, a wetland, from Nairobi's Central Business Area on the Nairobi-Naivasha Road. The word "manguo" in the local language means "hippopotamus," however as the area has gotten more urbanized, the hippos must have left long ago. It's a magnificent swamp, a seasonal wetland that plays a key role in controlling water levels and preventing local flooding. Water runs through the ground to replenish the soil. Freshwater habitats like the Manguo Swamp draw animals and birds that cannot thrive in saltwater. While providing a leisurely morning to take in the peace and beauty of a variety of birds. Freshwater birds including the Maccoa Duck, a regional duck, can be found in the Manguo Swamp. The duller grey females and the lovely chestnut males stay close to the edge of the marsh. The IUCN red list recently upgraded maccoa ducks to "near threatened" status. Just these African stiff-tail ducks exist. As their legs are so far back, they almost ever leave the water because it is uncomfortable to waddle on land. Manguo has also reported rare Palearctic migrating ducks like Gadwall and Ferruginous. Gatamaiyu Forest is an extension of the easternmost end of the indigenous forest of the Aberdare ranges and a portion of the broader Kikuyu Escarpment Forest. At an average elevation of around 1800 meters above sea level, the forest is made up of ridges and valleys. Gatamaiyu Forest is a genuine paradise and a perfect location for urban birding and day treks because of its well-preserved beauty and close proximity to Nairobi. Gatamaiyu Forest is a great place to see numerous Afro-tropical highland species, and practically everywhere you go on a Kenya budget birding walking tour, you'll see its splendor.
Birds species often encountered in Gatamaiyu Forest: Hunter’s Cisticola, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Silvery cheeked Hornbill, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Fine-banded Woodpecker, White-bellied Tit, Tambourine Dove, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Abbott’s Starling which is endemic to Kenya and Tanzania and occurs in selected montane forest. Abbott’s Starling is classified as vulnerable due to the loss of its habitat. Additionally, you are likely to get glances of colonies of Mount Kenya Guereza and Kolb’s Monkeys as they teasingly sway from branch to branch soaring high up the trees. Birdwatching in Gatamaiyu forest is usually done on foot, this provides excellent opportunities to get a closer view of the birds, and gaze at the stunning trees, flowers, and insects, being a forest, we mostly rely on the bird’s calls which may be deep inside the thick understory, a little patience usually pays off. Birds in the Gatamaiyu forest normally tend to feed in flocks, making it easier to see and record multiple species once. Our accommodation for the night is on the shores of Lake Elementeita.
Day 3: Lake Elementaita
We get up early to go on a bird walk along the lakeshore where we look for both terrestrial and aquatic species. In contrast to many locations where it is done while driving a vehicle, our budget birding here will be very simple. More than a hundred different bird species are anticipated. With almost 400 bird species documented, the birdlife in this area is abundant. On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Elementeita, sometimes known as Lake Elementaita or Lake Elmenteita, is a tiny (18 square kilometers) soda lake. The Maasai word muteita, which means "dust place," is the root of the word elementeita. It refers to the area's dryness and dustiness, particularly between January and March. Trona is present in Lake Elementeita, a type of evaporite that is not marine and can be mined to produce sodium carbonate. A portion of the alkaline Lake Elementeita, which is near to Lake Nakuru National Park, is located within the Soysambu Conservancy. The Greater and Lesser Flamingo species are drawn to the lake by the insect larvae, crustaceans, and blue-green algae, and Elementeita is designated worldwide as an Important Bird Area. Lesser flamingos, numbering over four million, migrate between the three lakes (Lakes Elementeita, Nakuru, and Bogoria). Owing to the presence of a number of endangered or otherwise threatened birds, including the potentially resident Grey-crested Helmet-shrike (Near Endangered), which can be found in the nearby Leleshwa woods. By providing them with an essential wintering site, Lake Elementeita also sustains considerable numbers of more than 100 species of Palearctic migratory birds. This is one of the world's greatest ornithological spectacles. The lake also houses one of the largest Great White Pelican breeding colonies in the entire world; other well-known locations in Africa where the pelicans breed are Lake Shala in Ethiopia and Lake Rukwa in Tanzania.
Day 4: Lake Baringo
We will continue our birding trip to Lake Baringo, which is famed for its abundant biodiversity. Home to more than 470 different bird species, Lake Baringo has earned a reputation as a birdwatchers' haven. 130 square kilometers in size. On a rocky islet in the lake known as Gibraltar, there is a Goliath heronry. Lokoros, Rongena, Lengai, Samatian, Olkokwa, Parmolos, and Devil's Island are the seven islands in Lake Baringo. Olkokwe is the name of the biggest of them. Olkokwe is the Ilchamus word for a gathering area. According to reports, the crocodile population has been nourished by the quantity of fish to the point where the reptiles have little interest in humans or other mammals. Around 480 different bird species have been recorded at Lake Baringo, which makes it one of the preferred birding destinations in Kenya.
Day 5: Lake Baringo
Up early and take a walk around the cliffs to look for local specialties such the rare Somali Fiscal, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Three-banded Courser, and distinctive owls. Due to the scorching weather, which often begins about eleven in the morning, birding will only be done early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Birds in Lake Baringo; Great Spotted Cuckoo, Goliath Heron, White-backed Night-Heron, Dwarf Bittern, Little Bittern, Abdim’s Stork, Heuglin’s Courser, Senegal Thick-knee, Allen’s Gallinule, Slender-tailed Nightjar, Pennant-winged Nightjar, Star-spotted Nightjar, Osprey, Pearl-spotted Owlet, African Scops Owl, Northern White-faced (Scops) Owl, Greyish Eagle Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Blue-naped Mousebird, Greater Honeyguide, Red–and–Yellow Barbet, Madagascar Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Abyssinian Roller, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Pygmy Batis, White Helmetshrike, Somali Fiscal, White-necked Raven, Pygmy Sunbird, Shining Sunbird, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Northern Red Bishop, Northern Masked Weaver, Somali Sparrow, Somali Tit, Pale Prinia, White-crested Turaco, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver.
Day 6: Lake Baringo to Nairobi
The following birds can be seen on the drive: Goliath Heron, White-backed Night Heron, Pygmy Goose, African Crake, Allen's Gallinule, Lesser Moorhen, Little Bittern, Dwarf Bittern, Madagascar Pond Heron, Western Reef Egret, African Darter, Senegal Thick-knee, African Marsh Harrier, Northern Carmine Bee, Black Tern, African Marsh Harrier, and Lesser Black-backed Gull.
If time allows, we visit a nearby primary school to plant some native trees and motivate the students to practice environmental conservation to cap off our six-day, low-cost birding vacation.
Tour Tips:
The 6-day tour of Kenya will be done on foot, with the exception of Nairobi National Park (there are designated areas where walking is allowed). Last day' is a four-hour trip from Baringo to Nairobi.
Weather: Mild to hot, with some places likely to see rain; need for an early start.
What to Bring: Binoculars, Camera, Sunscreen, Sunglasses, Hat/Cap, Insect Repellents, Flashlights, Sturdy Shoes for walking and comfortable travel
Accommodation: Bandas/Cottages
The price covers food, water, lodging, transportation, park entrance fees, a professional bird guide's services, community fees, a boat excursion on Lake Baringo, and the most recent version of the Kenyan bird checklist.
