With over 420 recorded bird species, Amboseli is not just about elephants—it’s a premier birding destination, especially in and around its swamps, seasonal lakes, savannahs, and acacia woodlands. Birdlife thrives year-round, but peaks during the wet season (Nov–April) when migrants arrive from Eurasia and northern Africa.
📍 Key Bird Habitats in Amboseli
| Habitat | Bird Highlights |
|---|---|
| Marshes & Swamps | Waterbirds, waders, herons, storks, jacanas |
| Acacia Woodland | Hornbills, rollers, woodpeckers, barbets |
| Savannah & Plains | Raptors, bustards, larks, bee-eaters |
| Salt Pans & Lakes | Flamingos, plovers, terns, stilts |
| Termite Mounds | Secretary birds, kestrels, hornbills |
| Bush & Scrubland | Shrikes, sunbirds, flycatchers, white-eyes |
🦆 1. Waterbirds & Waders
Amboseli’s permanent swamps and shallow lakes attract dozens of wetland species.
Notable Families:
- Herons & Egrets (Ardeidae)
- Grey Heron
- Goliath Heron
- Black-headed Heron
- Little Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Great Egret
- Storks (Ciconiidae)
- Saddle-billed Stork
- Marabou Stork
- Woolly-necked Stork
- African Openbill
- Ibis & Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)
- Sacred Ibis
- Hadada Ibis
- Glossy Ibis
- African Spoonbill
- Jacanas & Rails (Jacanidae, Rallidae)
- African Jacana
- Black Crake
- Purple Swamphen
- Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae)
- Lesser Flamingo (seasonal)
- Greater Flamingo (occasional)
- Waders (Charadriidae, Recurvirostridae, Scolopacidae)
- Black-winged Stilt
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Crowned Lapwing
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Greenshank
🦅 2. Birds of Prey (Raptors)
Amboseli’s open plains offer prime hunting grounds for many daytime and nocturnal raptors.
Key Families & Species:
- Hawks, Eagles, Kites (Accipitridae)
- African Fish Eagle
- Martial Eagle
- Tawny Eagle
- Steppe Eagle (migrant)
- Long-crested Eagle
- Augur Buzzard
- Bateleur
- African Harrier-Hawk
- Black-winged Kite
- Falcons (Falconidae)
- Pygmy Falcon
- Lanner Falcon
- Eurasian Kestrel
- Sooty Falcon (rare migrant)
- Owls (Strigidae, Tytonidae)
- Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
- Spotted Eagle Owl
- Barn Owl
- Secretary Bird (Sagittariidae)
- Secretary Bird (commonly seen stalking through the grass)
🌳 3. Woodland & Forest Birds
The acacia forests and riverine woodlands around Amboseli’s lodges and swamps are home to dozens of arboreal species.
Notable Families:
- Hornbills (Bucerotidae)
- African Grey Hornbill
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Crowned Hornbill
- Woodpeckers (Picidae)
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Bearded Woodpecker
- Barbets (Lybiidae)
- Red-and-yellow Barbet
- Black-collared Barbet
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Turacos & Cuckoos (Musophagidae, Cuculidae)
- White-browed Coucal
- African Cuckoo
- Jacobin Cuckoo (seasonal)
- Rollers, Bee-eaters, Kingfishers (Coraciidae, Meropidae, Alcedinidae)
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- European Roller (migrant)
- White-fronted Bee-eater
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Pied Kingfisher
- Giant Kingfisher (less common)
🌾 4. Grassland, Bush, and Ground Birds
These species dominate Amboseli’s open plains, scrublands, and termite mound landscapes.
Key Families:
- Bustards (Otididae)
- Kori Bustard (Africa’s heaviest flying bird)
- White-bellied Bustard
- Black-bellied Bustard
- Larks & Pipits (Alaudidae, Motacillidae)
- Rufous-naped Lark
- Singing Bush Lark
- Red-capped Lark
- African Pipit
- Yellow-throated Longclaw
- Cisticolas & Warblers (Cisticolidae, Sylviidae)
- Zitting Cisticola
- Rattling Cisticola
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Willow Warbler (migrant)
- Shrikes & Drongos (Laniidae, Dicruridae)
- Long-tailed Fiscal
- Grey-backed Fiscal
- Magpie Shrike
- Fork-tailed Drongo
- Sunbirds (Nectariniidae)
- Beautiful Sunbird
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Variable Sunbird
🐦 5. Colorful Small Birds & Songbirds
Amboseli is filled with flashes of color and melody—especially around lodges and during early mornings.
Notable Families:
- Weavers (Ploceidae)
- Lesser Masked Weaver
- Speke’s Weaver
- Vitelline Masked Weaver
- Finches & Waxbills (Estrildidae)
- Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
- Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
- African Firefinch
- Cut-throat Finch
- Zebra Waxbill
- Starlings (Sturnidae)
- Superb Starling
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Greater Blue-eared Starling
- Wattled Starling (seasonal)
- White-eyes (Zosteropidae)
- Montane White-eye (higher elevation)
- Northern Yellow White-eye
🗓️ Best Time for Birding in Amboseli
| Season | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Nov–April | Peak birdwatching season; Palearctic migrants arrive |
| May–July | Wetland birds flourish; easy sightings in swamps |
| Aug–Oct | Grassland birds dominate as swamps recede |
🛠️ Birding Tips for Amboseli
- Bring binoculars (8×42 or 10×50) and a field guidebook like Stevenson & Fanshawe’s Birds of East Africa
- Early mornings are best for active songbirds and raptors
- Visit Observation Hill for panoramic views of waterbirds and marshes
- Lodges with bird hides or forest edges (like Elerai or Serena) offer excellent viewing
- Ask for a specialist bird guide or ornithologist if you’re an avid birder