Magical Kenya Exotic Birds & Big Game Galore! - August 2026
Dates: August 7-23, 2026
Leader: Andrew Whittaker
E-bird
Total Species: 410 birds
Click Here to view list.
Overall Summary
Kenya, without doubt, is the jewel in East Africa’s wildlife crown and one of the world’s premier destinations for magnificent big game and birds alike. Kenya’s vast savannas and superb national parks unraveled a dream-come-true African safari. Featuring world-class, easy birding (410 bird species), plus unparalleled big game viewing with a mega 54 mammal species, including the sought-after “Big Five,” multiple encounters with big cats, plus Serval and a mega-rare Caracal! A true trip of a lifetime was enjoyed with such a great, fun group.
Our Masai Mara private camp was simply delightful, with comfortable accommodations, great food, and service—a real highlight for all. Certainly, we will never forget those breathtaking starry skies, night sounds, and magical birds and wildlife right outside our tent doorsteps. Kenya’s great infrastructure, safe travel, super-friendly people, and iconic scenery were a delight. We marveled at the vast grassy plains and rolling hills of the Mara, rich lakes and rocky cliffs of the Great Rift Valley, lush montane rainforests of the Aberdares, and the muddy, palm-bordered rivers and stark, dry acacia brush of Samburu. Together, we enjoyed a host of exciting new African bird families, such as ostrich, Hamerkops, Secretarybirds, guineafowl, turacos, blood-drinking oxpeckers, mousebirds, wood-hoopoes, bush-shrikes, and wild-looking widowbirds. Kenya’s terrific avian diversity makes it a “truly must-visit” destination.
We began with an exciting game drive through Nairobi National Park, famed as a stronghold for the endangered White Rhino, enjoying great studies along with a spectacular assortment of other big game and 94 bird species. A perfect introduction to our Kenyan safari.
Lake Nakuru provided my trip highlight: the rarely seen Caracal hunting! High waters shocked me here; however, avian richness continued with 116 species recorded, including Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, flocks of flamingos and pelicans, countless Fish Eagles, Martial Eagle, and dazzling White-fronted Bee-eaters, Malachite Sunbirds, and Golden-winged Sunbirds.
Kenya’s crown jewel, the Masai Mara, was outstanding! Magical safaris through its vast plains from our well-positioned private campsite rewarded us with spectacular views of immense herds of big game. Felines were a group favorite, with a cute family of Servals offering us wondrous insight into their lives. Our highlight was witnessing a lioness hunting and taking down a Wildebeest at close range before bringing it into the shade of our vehicle! Stunning Narina Trogon, Schalow’s Turaco, Meyer’s Parrot, and Gray-headed Bushshrike graced our camp. Double-banded Courser began our fabulous list of avian delights, along with Secretarybirds, Black-chested Snake-Eagle, Rufous-bellied Heron, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Black-bellied and White-bellied Bustards, Swamp Nightjar, Rosy-throated Longclaw, and Magpie Shrike.
En route to Lake Baringo, the wetlands produced Spur-winged Goose and a magnificent roosting Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl and Purple Rollers. Exploration nearby was rewarding, with point-blank views of Three-banded Courser, roosting Slender-tailed Nightjar and Northern White-faced Owl, plus Jackson’s Hornbill and Red-and-yellow Barbet. Nearby, spectacular cliffs produced both Lanner Falcon and enormous Verreaux’s Eagle pairs. Our much-anticipated boat trip was delightful, with Goliath Heron, Olive Bee-eaters, Giant Kingfisher, Beautiful and Hunter’s Sunbirds, and an in-your-face Hamerkop on our boat!
Aberdare National Park and the famous Ark offered a stark contrast, with their cooler, pleasant climate and delightful cloud-forest surroundings. Herds of Elephants, Forest Hogs, Buffalo, and Bushbuck kept us amused with their antics at the salt lick, while handsome Gray Crowned Cranes paraded around the lake. Safari drives through the lush surroundings produced Olive Ibis, Crowned Eagle, Jackson’s Spurfowl, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Red-necked Wryneck, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, and Abyssinian Crimsonwing. Meanwhile, the lodge boardwalk graced us with Hartlaub’s Turaco, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, and a big surprise in a couple of cute Brown Greater Galagos!
We rounded out our fabulous tour in Samburu National Park at our lovely, secluded lodge. Big cat observations were exceptional! We delighted in watching Leopards resting in trees and hunting, as well as a female Cheetah with a large youngster hunting. Even a pride of lions with tiny young suckling was a magical moment! Birding highlights included Somali Ostrich, Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse, Vulturine Guineafowl, Pygmy and Red-necked Falcons, Somali Courser, Somali Bee-eater, Rosy-patched Bushshrike, Cut-throat, Green-winged Pytilia, Magpie and Golden-breasted Starlings, and Somali Bunting. We all left Kenya extremely happy and reminiscing about an extremely special journey through this wonderful country.
Top seven birds and mammals elected by the group
1: SOUTHERN GROUND-HORNBILL
2: LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER
3: SOMALI BEE-EATER
4: GOLDEN-WINGED SUNBIRD
5: MALACHITE KINGFISHER
6: THREE-BANDED COURSER
7: SOMALI COURSER, LITTLE BEE-EATER & EASTERN YELLOW-BILLED HORNBILL
1: SERVAL (WITH KITTENS)
2: CHEETAH
3: LION (WILDEBEEST KILL)
4: CARACAL (RARE SIGHTING)
5: LEOPARD
6: ELEPHANT
7: GERENUK & RETICULATED GIRAFFE
Day-by-Day Summary
August 7 – International flight to Nairobi.
August 8 – Arrive in Nairobi and transfer tour plush hotel.
August 9 – Safari to Nairobi National Park with picnic lunch.
August 10 – Drive onto Lake Nakuru with birding on route at a rich marsh late morning and after lunch at our nice lodge we enjoyed a midafternoon birding safari at the rich rift valley lake.
August 11 – AM first hours biring Lake Nakuru before our drive onto the World famous Masai Mara National Reserve. Birding through the park onto our well positioned private luxury tented camp smack in the middle of the park for lunch. Midafternoon Safari in the Mara.
August 12-16 – AM and PM magical safari drives exploring the vast park enjoying countless big game and fascinating birds.
August 17 – Drive onto Lake Baringo birding on route to our lodge. Afternoon walk for roosting owls, nightjars and coursers.
August 18 – AM boat exploration of lake Batingo followed by birding nearby. Mid- afternoon birding on foot.
August 19 – AM birding nearby the nearby magnificent cliffs before driving to Aberdare National Park with stop on route at a rich marsh. Lunch at the Ark with afternoon birding and mammal observing from the lodge’s platforms and boardwalk.
August 20 – AM and PM safari drives within the park.
August 21 – Drive onto Samburu National Park. A safari drive birding to our delightful lodge within the park. PM safari drive exploring the reserve.
August 22 & 23 - AM and PM safari drives in the reserve with one morning crossing into the Shaba National Reserve.
August 24 – AM birding to the north for an hour for some targets before we drove back to Nairobi to our comfortable hotel with time to pack and shower before transferring to homebound flights late tonight or the following day.
Wildlife Seen:
MAMMALS:
Olive (Anubis)
Baboon (Papio anubis)
Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus pygerythrus)
Sykes Monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis)
Brown Greater Galago (Bushbaby) (Otolemur crassicaudatus)
Straw-colored Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum)
Yellow-winged Bat (Lavia frons)
Scrub Hare (Lepus saxatilis)
Unstriped Ground Squirrel (Xerus rutilus)
Striped Ground Squirrel (Euxerus erythropus)
Ochre Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus olivaceus)
Naked Mole-Rat (Heterocephalus glaber)
Zebra Mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio)
Unstriped Grass Rat (Arvicanthis sp?)
Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas)
Somali Slender Mongoose (Herpestes hirtula)
Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo)
Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)
Common (Small-spotted)
Genet (Crocuta crocuta)
Serval (Felis serval)
Caracal (Felis caracal)
Leopard (Panthera pardus)
Lion (Panthera leo)
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
Black-necked Rock Hyrax (Procavia johnstoni)
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Common Zebra (Equus quagga)
Grevy’s Zebra (Equus grevyi)
Grass (White)
Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)
Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni)
Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)
Desert Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus)
Rothchild’s Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi)
Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata)
“Maasai” Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
African (Cape)
Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)
Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
Red Forest Duiker (Cephalophus natalensis)
Suni (Neotragus moschatus)
Oribi (Ourebia ourebi)
Kirk’s (Damara)
Dikdik (Madoqua kirkii)
Mountain Reedbuck (Redunca fulvorufla) From Nairobi hotel
Bohor Reedbuck (Redunca redunca)
Common Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)
Defessa Waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa)
Red-fronted (Thomson’s) Gazelle (Gazella rufifrons)
Grant’s Gazelle (Gazella granti)
Bright’s Gazelle (Gazella granti brighti)
Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri)
Impala (Aepyceros melampus)
Topi (Tsessebe) (Damaliscus lunatus)
Kongoni (Hartebeest) (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
Brindled Gnu (Wildebeest) (Connochaetes taurinus)
Beisa Oryx (Oyrx beisa)
Total - 55 species
REPTILES:
Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
Red-headed Agama (Agama agama)
Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus)
Rainbow Skink (Lampropholis delicata)
Mount Kenya Sentinal Chamelion (Kinyongia excubitor)
African Helmeted Turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa)
African Striped Skink (Oligosoma striatum)