All our national
parks and reserves have their own quota of
this grand variety and with a few
exceptions, each one of them covers a
different type of habitat. There are of
course overlapping areas which need to be
taken into account when planning a bird
safari. However, even on a more standard
wildlife safari, taking in all or some of
the major game viewing areas, the birds
provide a superb added attraction to those
who are interested.
Of great importance to those planning bird
safaris is that birds can be found in
abundance outside the national parks. There
are many areas of Kenya covering the same
wide variation of habitat, that do not have
national park status. In these places game
may be scarce - but birds are always
present. Examples are Lake Magadi, only 110
kms south of Nairobi in Rift Valley,
Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya, a remnant
of the great rain forest that once covered
much of East Africa; Lake Naivasha, 90 kms
north of Nairobi; and the thousands of
hectares of farmland, private ranches and
even suburban gardens in Nairobi. All these
areas are prolific in birdlife.
Bird
watching 
