Birds of Kenya
The bird species that are underlined in this list will take you to a picture of that species taken during our trips.
Little Grebe
Black neckedGebe
Great Crested Grebe
Wedge tailed Shearwater
Audubon’s Shearwater
White-tailed Tropicbird
Pink-backed Pelican
Masked Booby
Greater Frigatebird
Lesser Frigatebird
Little Bittern
Dwarf Bittern
White-backed Night Heron
Com Squacco Heron
Madagascar Squacco Heron
Rufous-bellied Heron
Green-backed Heron
Little Egret
Dimorphic Egret
Western Reef Heron
Black Heron
Yellow-billed Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
White Stork
Black Stork
Abdim’s Stork
African Green Ibis
Glossy Ibis
Fulvous Whistling Duck
White-faced Whistling Duck
Spur-winged Goose
African Pygmy Goose
African Black Duck
Cape Teal
Eurasian Wigeon
Common Teal
Garganey
Yellow-billed Duck
Northern Pintail
Red-billed Teal
Hottentot Teal
Northern Shoveler
Southern Pochard
Tufted Duck
Maccoa Duck
White-backed Duck
Osprey
African Cuckoo Hawk
European Honey Buzzard
Bat Hawk
White-Headed Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
Hooded Vulture
Lammergeier
African Harrier Hawk
Pallid Harrier
Montagu’s Harrier
European Marsh Harrier
African Marsh Harrier
Short-toed Snake Eagle
Banded Snake Eagle
Southern Banded Snake Eagle
Great Sparrowhawk
Ovambo Sparrowhawk
Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk
Little Sparrowhawk
Shikra
Dark Chanting Goshawk
Gabar Goshawk
Lizard Buzzard
Mountain Buzzard
Common Buzzard
Long-legged Buzzard
Augur Buzzard
Grasshopper Buzzard
Long-crested Eagle
African Crowned Eagle
Booted Eagle
African Hawk-Eagle
Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle
Lesser Spotted Eagle
Greater Spotted Eagle
Steppe Eagle
Imperial Eagle
Verreaux’s Eagle
Wahlberg’s Eagle
Palm-nut Vulture
Black-shouldered Kite
African Swallow-tailed Kite
Pygmy Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Lanner Falcon
Taita Falcon
Saker Falcon
Red-necked Falcon
Red-footed Falcon
Amur Falcon
African Hobby
Eurasian Hobby
Grey Kestrel
Eleonora’s Falcon
Sooty Falcon
Fox Kestrel
Greater Kestrel
Common Kestrel
Lesser Kestrel
Scaly Francolin
Jackson’s Francolin
Hildebrandt’s Francolin
Crested Francolin
Ring-necked Francolin
Red-winged Francolin
Shelley’s Francolin
Moorland Francolin
Coqui Francolin
Common Quail
Harlequin Quail
Blue Quail
Stone Partridge
Crested (includes Kenya Crested) Guineafowl
Common Button-quail
Black-rumped Button-quail
Quail Plover
Buff-spotted Flufftail
Red-chested Flufftail
Streaky-breasted Flufftail
Striped Flufftail
African Water Rail
African Crake
Corncrake
Spotted Crake
Baillon’s Crake
Striped Crake
Red-knobbed Coot
Purple Swamphen
Allen’s Gallinule
Lesser Moorhen
Common Moorhen
African Finfoot
White-bellied Bustard
Hartlaub’s Bustard
(Buff) Crested Bustard
Denham’s Bustard
Heuglin’s Bustard
Lesser Jacana
Greater Painted-snipe
Crab Plover
European Oystercatcher
Pied Avocet
Eurasian Thick-knee
Senegal Thick-knee
Spotted Thick-knee
Cream-coloured Courser
Somali Courser
Temminck’s Courser
Two-banded Courser
Heuglin’s Courser
Violet-tipped courser
Black-winged Pratincole
Rock Pratincole
Madagascar Pratincole
African Wattled Plover
Black-headed Plover
Senegal Plover
Black-winged Plover
Pacific Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
White-fronted plover
Chestnut-banded plover
Caspian Plover
Greater Sandplover
Lesser Sandplover
Kittlitz’s Sandplover
Three-banded Plover
Sanderling
Little Stint
Temminck’s Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Ruff
Jack Snipe
Common Snipe
African Snipe
Great snipe
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Whimbrel
Eurasian Curlew
Spotted Redshank
Common Redshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Ruddy Tumstone
Red-necked Phalarope
Sooty Gull
Great Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Grey-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Heuglin’s Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Greater Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern
Roseate Tern
Common Tern
White-cheeked Tern
Bridled Tern
Sooty Tern
Little Tern
Saunder’s Tern
Sandwich tern
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern
Lesser Noddy
Brown Noddy
African Skimmer
Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse
Four-banded Sandgrouse
Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
Feral Pigeon
Olive Pigeon
Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon
African White-winged Dove
Ring-necked Dove
African Mourning Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Dusky Turtle Dove
Lemon Dove
Tambourine Dove
Blue-spotted wood dove
Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
Namaqua Dove
African Green Pigeon
Bruce’s green Pigeon
Red-fronted Parrot
African Orange-bellied Parrot
Brown Parrot
Brown-headed Parrot
Grey Parrot
Red-headed Lovebird
Feral Lovebird
Great Blue Turaco
Eastern Grey Plantain Eater
Bare-faced Go-away-bird
Fischer’s turaco
Schalow’s Turaco
Black-billed Turaco
Hartlaub’s Turaco
White-crested Turaco
Purple-crested Turaco
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Black-and-white Cuckoo
Levaillant’s Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
African Cuckoo
Eurasian Cuckoo
Asian Lesser Cuckoo
Thick-billed Cuckoo
Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo
African Emerald Cuckoo
Klaas’s Cuckoo
Diederik Cuckoo
Blue-headed Coucal
Senegal Coucal
White-browed Coucal
Black Coucal
Yellowbill
African Grass Owl
Barn Owl
Eurasian Scops Owl
African Scops Owl
Sokoke Scops Owl
White-faced Scops Owl
Cape (Mackinder’s) Eagle-Owl
Spotted Eagle-Owl
Pel’s Fishing Owl
African Wood Owl
African Barred Owlet
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Red-chested Owlet
Marsh Owl
Star-spotted Nightjar
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Montane Nightjar
Nubian Nightjar
Dusky Nightjar
Eurasian Nightjar
Plain Nightjar
Freckled Nightjar
Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar
African white-tailed Nightjar
Slender-tailed Nightjar
Long-tailed Nightjar
Gabon Nightjar
Standard-winged Nightjar
Pennant-winged Nightjar
Sabine’s Spinetail
Mottle-throated Spinetail
Böhm’s Spinetail
Scarce Swift
African Palm Swift
Mottled Swift
Alpine Swift
Eurasian Swift
African Black Swift
Nyanza Swift
Forbes-Watson’s Swift
White-rumped Swift
Horus Swift
Little Swift
Speckled Mousebird
Blue-naped Mousebird
Narina Trogon
Bar-tailed Trogon
Grey-headed Kingfisher
Half-collared Kingfisher
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
Mangrove Kingfisher
White-fronted Bee-eater
Little Bee-eater
Blue-breasted Bee-eater
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
Eurasian Bee-eater
Blue-headed Bee-eater
White-throated Bee-eater
Carmine Bee-eater
Abyssinian Roller
Eurasian Roller
Rufous-crowned Roller
Broad-billed Roller
Hoopoe
Green Wood-hoopoe
Black-billed Wood-hoopoe
Violet Wood-hoopoe
White-headed Wood-hoopoe
Common Scimitarbill
Abyssinian Scimitarbill
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill
Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Trumpeter Hornbill
Von der Decken’s Hornbill
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Hemprich’s Hornbill
Crowned Hornbill
Double-toothed Barbet
Brown-breasted Barbet
White-headed Barbet
Black-collared Barbet
Black-billed Barbet
Red-fronted Barbet
Black-throated Barbet
Spot-flanked Barbet
Hairy-breasted Barbet
White-eared Barbet
Yellow-spotted Barbet
Green Barbet
Grey-throated Barbet
Eastern Green Tinkerbird
Mustached Green Tinkerbird
Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow-billed Barbet
D’Arnaud’s Barbet
Greater Honeyguide
Lesser Honeyguide
Thick-billed Honeyguide
Scaly-throated Honeyguide
Least Honeyguide
Pallid Honeyguide
Cassin’s Honeybird
Eastern Honeybird
Wahlberg’s Honeybird
Red-throated Wryneck
Eurasian Wryneck
Nubian Woodpecker
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Mombasa Woodpecker
Green-backed (Little Spotted) Woodpecker
Fine-banded Woodpecker
Buff-spotted Woodpecker
Brown-eared Woodpecker
Speckle-breasted (Uganda Spotted) Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Bearded Woodpecker
Yellow-crested Woodpecker
Grey Woodpecker
Brown-backed Woodpecker
African Broadbill
African Pitta
Fawn-coloured Lark
Singing Bush Lark
White-tailed Lark
Flappet Lark
Collared Lark
Rufous-naped Lark
Red-winged Lark
Pink-breasted Lark
Williams’s Lark
Friedmann’s Lark
Masked Lark
Red-capped Lark
Somali (Rufous) Short-toed Lark
Short-tailed Lark
Crested Lark
Thekia (Short-crested) Lark
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark
Banded Martin
Plain (African Sand) Martin
Sand Martin
Blue Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Ethiopian Swallow
Angola Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Mosque Swallow
Rufous-chested Swallow
Rock Martin
Grey-rumped Swallow
Common House Martin
Black Saw-wing
White-headed Saw-wing
Tawny Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Tree Pipit
Plain-backed Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Striped Pipit
Bush (Little Tawny) Pipit
Sokoke Pipit
Malindi Pipit
Golden Pipit
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Pangani Longclaw
Rosy-breasted Longclaw
Sharpe’s Longclaw
Cape Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
White Wagtail
Mountain Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Little Greenbul
Little Grey Greenbul
Ansorge’s Greenbul
Slender-billed Greenbul
Cameroon Sombre Greenbul
Mountain Greenbul
Stripe-cheeked Greenbul
Shelley’s Greenbul
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul
Yellow-throated Leaflove
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
Joyful Greenbul
Red-tailed Bristlebill
Honeyguide Greenbul
Fischer’s Greenbul (Kenya coast only)
Cabanis’s (Placid) Greenbul
Terrestrial Brownbul
Northern Brownbul
Grey-olive Greenbul
Toro Olive Greenbul
Tiny Greenbul
Eastern Nicator
Brown Illadopsis
Pale-breasted Illadopsis
Mountain Illadopsis
Scaly-breasted Illadopsis
Grey-chested Illadopsis
African Hill Babbler
Rufous Chatterer
Scaly Chatterer
Black-lored Babbler
Northern Pied Babbler
Scaly Babbler
Hinde’s Babbler
Arrow-marked Babbler
Brown Babbler
Common Stonechat
Whinchat
Capped Wheatear
Heuglin’s Wheatear
Isabelline Wheatear
Northern Wheatear
Pied Wheatear
Abyssinian Black (Schalow’s) Wheatear
Sprosser
Nightingale
Irania
Common Redstart
Red-tailed Chat
Brown-tailed Rock Chat
Alpine Chat
Common Rock Thrush
Little Rock Thrush
Northern Anteater Chat
Sooty Chat
White-shouldered Cliff Chat
White-browed Scrub Robin
Brown-backed Scrub Robin
Rufous Bush Chat
Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin
Collared Palm Thrush (Morning Warbler)
Spotted Morning Thrush
White-starred Robin
Brown-chested Alethe
Snowy-headed Robin-Chat
White-browed Robin-Chat
Rüppell’s Robin-Chat
Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
Red-capped Robin-Chat
Cape Robin-Chat
Grey-winged Robin
Equatorial Akalat
East Coast Akalat
Red-tailed Ant Thrush
White-tailed Ant Thrush
African Thrush
Bare-eyed Thrush
Olive Thrush
Taita Thrush
Orange Ground Thrush
Abyss Ground Thrush
Spotted Ground Thrush
Spotted Flycatcher
Gambaga Flycatcher
African Dusky Flycatcher
Chapin’s Flycatcher
Swamp Flycatcher
Ashy Flycatcher
Semi-collared Flycatcher
Lead-coloured Flycatcher
Southern Black Flycatcher
Northern Black Flycatcher
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Silverbird
Pale Flycatcher
African Grey Flycatcher
Little Rush Warbler
White-winged Warbler
Cinnamon Bracken Warbler
Evergreen Forest Warbler
Broad-tailed Warbler
River Warbler
Sedge Warbler
African Reed Warbler
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Basra Reed Warbler
Lesser Swamp Warbler
Greater Swamp Warbler
Olivaceous Warbler
Upcher’s Warbler
Olive-tree Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Dark-capped Yellow Warbler
Mountain Yellow Warbler
Papyrus Yellow Warbler
Barred Warbler
Common Whitethroat
Garden Warbler
Blackcap
African Moustached Warbler
Yellow–throated Woodland Warbler
Uganda Woodland Warbler
Brown Woodland Warbler
Wood Warbler
Chiffchaff
Willow Warbler
Pectoral-patch Cisticola
Wing-snapping Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Desert Cisticola
Croaking Cisticola
Stout Cisticola
Aberdare Cisticola
Lynes’s (Wailing) Cisticola
Ashy Cisticola
Rattling Cisticola
Boran Cisticola
Tiny Cisticola
Siffling Cisticola
Foxy Cisticola
Long-tailed (Tabora) Cisticola
Rock (-loving) Cisticola
Whistling Cisticola
Trilling Cisticola
Red-faced Cisticola
Singing Cisticola
Hunter’s Cisticola
Chubb’s Cisticola
Winding Cisticola
Carruthers’s Cisticola
Levaillant’s (Tinkling) Cisticola
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Pale Prinia
White-chinned Prinia
Banded Prinia
Red-fronted Warbler
Red-winged Warbler
Buff-bellied Warbler
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Black-throated Apalis
Bar-throated Apalis
Grey Apalis
Buff-throated Apalis
Chestnut-throated Apalis
Black-headed Apalis
Black-collared Apalis
Black-faced Rufous Warbler
Grey-backed Camaroptera
Grey Wren-Warbler
Pale Wren-Warbler
Olive-green Camaroptera
Grey-capped Warbler
Yellow-bellied Eremomela
Yellow-vented Eremomela
Green-capped Eremomela
Green-backed Eremomela
Turner’s Eremomela
White-browed Crombec
Green Crombec
Red-faced Crombec
Northern Crombec
Somali Long-billed Crombec
Brown Parisoma
Banded Parisoma
Green Hylia
Southern Hyliota
Yellow-bellied Hyliota
Yellow (Green) White-eye
Montane (Kikuyu) White-eye
Abyssinian White-eye
Northern Grey Tit
Northern Black Tit
White-bellied Tit
Red-throated Tit
Dusky Tit
African Penduline Tit
Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit
Spotted creeper
Little Yellow Flycatcher
Black-and-white Flycatcher
African Shrike-Flycatcher
Forest Batis
Pale Batis
Black-headed Batis
Chin-spot Batis
Pygmy Batis
Common Wattle-eye
Black-throated Wattle-eye
Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye
Jameson’s Wattle-eye
Chestnut Wattle-eye
African Blue Flycatcher
White-tailed Crested Flycatcher
Dusky Crested Flycatcher
Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher
African Paradise Flycatcher
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher
White-crested Helmet-shrike
Grey-crested Helmet-shrike
Retz’s Helmet-shrike
Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike
Northern white-crowned Shrike
Red-backed Shrike
Red-tailed Shrike
Woodchat Shrike
Grey-backed Fiscal
Long-tailed Fiscal
Lesser Grey Shrike
Common Fiscal
Taita Fiscal
Somali Fiscal
Mackinnon’s Shrike
Yellow-billed Shrike
Magpie Shrike
Brubru
Black-backed Puffback
Northern Puffback
Pringle’s Puffback
Pink-footed Puffback
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Three-streaked Tchagra
Black-crowned Tchagra
Marsh Tchagra
Rosy-patched Bush-Shrike
Black-headed Gonolek
Papyrus Gonolek
Lühder’s Bush-Shrike
Red-naped Bush-Shrike
Tropical Boubou
Slate-coloured Boubou
Bocage’s (Grey-green) Bush-Shrike
Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrike
Many-coloured (Black-fronted) Bush-Shrike
Grey-headed Bush-Shrike
Four-coloured Bush-Shrike
Doherty’s Bush-Shrike
Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike
Black Cuckoo-shrike
Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike
Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike
Grey Cuckoo-shrike
White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike
Common Drongo
Velvet-mantled Drongo
Square-tailed Drongo
Black-headed Oriole
Western Black-headed Oriole
Montane Oriole
Green-headed oriole
African Golden Oriole
Eurasian Golden Oriole
Piapiac
House crow
Brown-necked Raven
Pied Crow
White-naped Raven
Fan-tailed Raven
Cape Rook
Stuhlmann’s Starling
Kenrick’s Starling
Bronze-tailed Starling
Greater Blue-eared Starling
Lesser Blue-eared Starling
Rüppell’s Long-tailed Starling
Splendid Starling
Purple Starling
Bristle-crowned Starling
Red-winged Starling
Slender-billed Starling
Waller’s Starling
Shelley’s Starling
Hildebrandt’s Starling
Fischer’s Starling
White-crowned Starling
Golden–breasted Starling
Magpie Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Sharpe’s Starling
Abbott’s Starling
Wattled Starling
Yellow-billed Oxpecker
Collared Sunbird
Pygmy Sunbird
Green Sunbird
Plain-backed Sunbird
Eastern (Kenya) Violet-backed Sunbird
Western Violet-backed Sunbird
Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird
Amani Sunbird
Variable Sunbird
Orange-tufted Sunbird
Shining Sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
Violet-breasted Sunbird
Superb Sunbird
Marico Sunbird
Red-chested Sunbird
Black-bellied Sunbird
Beautiful Sunbird
Olive-bellied Sunbird
Northern Double-collared Sunbird
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird
Copper Sunbird
Tacazze Sunbird
Bronze Sunbird
Golden-winged Sunbird
Malachite Sunbird
Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird
Olive Sunbird
Scarlett-chested Sunbird
Hunter’s Sunbird
Amethyst Sunbird
Green-throated Sunbird
Green-headed Sunbird
Mouse-coloured Sunbird
Grey-headed Sparrow
Rufous Sparrow
House Sparrow
Somali Sparrow
Chestnut Sparrow
Yellow-spotted Petronia
White-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
Speckle-fronted Weaver
Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow Weaver
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver
Grey-capped Social Weaver
Black-capped Social Weaver
Black-headed Weaver
Vieillot’s Black Weaver
Speke’s Weaver
Orange Weaver
Taveta Golden Weaver
Golden Palm Weaver
Holub’s Golden Weaver
Northern Brown-throated Weaver
Yellow-backed Weaver
Jackson’s Golden-backed Weaver
Northern Masked Weaver
Juba Weaver
Vitelline Masked Weaver
Heuglin’s Masked Weaver
Chestnut Weaver
Little Weaver
Slender-billed Weaver
Clarke’s Weaver
Baglafecht (Reichenow’s) Weaver
Compact Weaver
Spectacled Weaver
Black-necked Weaver
Black-billed Weaver
Brown-capped Weaver
Yellow-mantled Weaver
Dark-backed Weaver
Red-headed Malimbe
Red-headed Weaver
Grosbeak Weaver
Southern Red Bishop
Northern Red Bishop
Zanzibar Red Bishop
Black-winged Red Bishop
Black Bishop
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Fire-fronted Bishop
Yellow Bishop
White-winged Widowbird
Yellow-mantled Widowbird
Red-collared Widowbird
Long-tailed Widowbird
Hartlaub’s Marsh Widowbird
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Jackson’s Widowbird
Red-billed Quelea
Red-headed Quelea
Cardinal Quelea
Parasitic Weaver
Grey-headed Negrofinch
White-breasted Negrofinch
Green-winged Pytilia
Orange-winged Pytilia
Brown Twinspot
Peters’s Twinspot
Red-headed Bluebill
Abyssinian Crimson-wing
Bar-breasted Firefinch
Red-billed Firefinch
African Firefinch
Jameson’s Firefinch
Black-bellied Firefinch
Yellow-bellied Waxbill
Fawn-breasted Waxbill
Black-crowned Waxbill
Black-headed Waxbill
Black-rumped Waxbill
Crimson-rumped Waxbill
Common Waxbill
Black-cheeked Waxbill
Black-faced Waxbill
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
Purple Grenadier
Zebra Waxbill
Quail-finch
Bronze Mannikin
Black-and-white (Rufous-backed) Mannikin
African Silverbill
Grey-headed Silverbill
Cut-throat Finch
Village Indigobird
Purple Indigobird
Steel-blue Whydah
Pin-tailed Whydah
Straw-tailed Whydah
Paradise Whydah
African Citril
Papyrus Canary
Brimstone Canary
Yellow crowned Canary
Yellow-fronted Canary
White-bellied Canary
Yellow-rumped Seedeater
Black-throated Seedeater
Southern Grosbeak Canary
Northern Grosbeak Canary
Stripe-breasted Seedeater
Thick-billed Canary
Streaky Seedeater
Oriole-Finch
Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting
House Bunting
Golden-breasted Bunting
Somali Golden-breasted Bunting