Nairobi National Park Birds

Nairobi National Park Birds : Nairobi National Park is the park that is found in the South-Central of Kenya in the south of Nairobi, the  Park was established in 1946, its today’s Kenya’s oldest Game Park, the park lies only 7km away from Nairobi capital city, the park surprisingly still have varied habitats which includes the open, rolling grass plains, riverine woodland, valley thicket and bush, artificial dams and ponds, rocky gorges and the dry upland forest. Nairobi national park is fenced along three sides, where it is adjacent to urban housing, industry, roads and  airports, in the southern border, along with Embakasi and the Athi rivers, is open for animal dispersal then ecologically the park is intimately linked to the Kitengele and Athi-Kapiti plains, which adjoin it to the south, forming a single ecological unit.

Nairobi National Park has got over 500 bird species both the permanent and the migratory species in the park, in that Nairobi National park gives Kenya’s capital the longest bird list of all cities in the world. The park’s substantial area of undisturbed grassland is of the great importance for the species such as the restricted-range Jackson’s widowbird, which breeds in the park regularly after the good rains. In Nairobi National park other grassland birds includes the Ostriches, secretary birds, bustards. Nairobi National Park is popular birding destination and its east to book a full or a day guided birding trip at short notice.

Nairobi National Park Birds
jackson’s Widowbird

Birding spots in Nairobi National Park.

Nairobi National park has a range of habitats including the open grasslands, lightly wooded plains, rocky valleys, seasonal wetlands, dams, forest lined rivers and streams, and montane forests where the bird species in the park can be found as well the best spotting sites for various bird species.

Whereas the savannah grasslands hosts a variety of seed-eating birds from Orange-breasted W axbills and Black –cheeked Waxbill to Yellow bishops, and the near Endemic jackson’s Widowbird, other birds expected would be Shelley’s Francolins, Kori Bustards, Secretary Birds, Black-shouldered Kites and about 10 species of Cisticolas.

The dams and the seasonal wetlands hold a huge number of water birds, including the Grey Herons, African Darters, African Water Rail, Saddle-billed, Yellow-billed and the Marabou storks. Rivers and streams also hold the elusive African Finfoot, and the montane forest is great for the Paleartic migrants such as the Eurasian Bee-eater, Blackcaps, Common Nightingale, Upcher’s and Willow Warblers.

Nairobi National Park Bird species.

Nairobi National Park has various birding specials like the Endemics (E) that lives in Kenya and the Near Endemics (NE) that also live in the neighboring countries. The Endemic bird species in Nairobi National Park includes the Abyssinian thrush, Corncake, Fischer’s lovebird, Grey crowned crane, Hartlaub’s bustard, Jackson’s widowbird, Kori bustard, Lappet-faced vulture, Lesser kestrel, Martial eagle, Pallid harrier, Secretary bird, Sooty falcon, White-bellied bustard, White-headed vulture and many others, the Near Endemic bird species in Nairobi National Park includes the Sharpe’s longclaw, Jackson’s Widowbird and many others. Most of the bird species in Nairobi National Park especially the Martial eagle, Ruppell’s Vulture, fish eagle, black kite and many bird species in the park do preys on the fawn and other smaller rodents in the park.

Nairobi National Park Birds
Sooty falcon

Nairobi national park has a diverse bird lists, one of the eight species of Kenya Mountains are Endemic Bird Area, 27 species of the 94 Somali Masai biome, and 25 species of the 67 African Highlands biome that occur in Kenya, have been recorded in the area. Migrating Lesser Falcons roost at the site in large numbers (over 5,000 individuals have been recorded at a time). The globally threatened Corncrake, Madagascar Pond-Heron, Lesser Kestrel, Red-throated Tit and the near threatened Shoebull Stork, and Basra Reed Warbler has both spotted. Regionally the threatened species incudes the Struthio Camelus, Hieraaetus ayresii, Stephanoaetus coronatus, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, Polemaetus bellicosus, Anhinga rufa, Casmerodius albus, Podica senegalensis and the Buphagus africanus.

Bird watching in Nairobi National Park.

Nairobi National park offers the good bird watching throughout the year, but the best time is from November to April when the migrants from Europe and North Africa are present. Many bird species are nesting at this place at this time as it coincides with a breeding season. The spectacular Jackson’s Widowbird displays from March to May, although good for birding, April tends to be very wet and is less productive time for game viewing.

Nairobi National Park is one of the most unique parks in the world, in that the park is the only wildlife park within a capital city and hosts a wide variety of the wildlife as well as over 500 species of birds thus making the park the best place to consider during your Kenya birding safari in the whole world because of its exciting features.

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