3 Days Forest Birding

The 3-Day Kenya Forest Birding Tour begins early in Nairobi, with a 6:00 am departure and arrival at Castle Forest on the slopes of Mount Kenya by around 9:00 am. After check-in, the morning will be spent birding around the lodge grounds, where a variety of forest species can often be seen. Following lunch, we venture deeper into the forest on guided walks, exploring further in search of more species and some of the region’s stunning forest specialists.

On this day, the Kenya Forest Birding Tour begins early in the morning as we set out along established nature trails. The bird walk focuses on species we may have missed previously, with careful attention to bird calls — an essential technique since many forest birds are shy and often skulking. Moving at a relaxed pace, we will search for mixed feeding flocks that gather during the non-breeding season, offering exciting chances to spot multiple species at once. We’ll also scan tall dead trees, which frequently serve as favorite perches for canopy-dwelling birds  such as the rare Abbott’s Starlings as they move through the forest.

Grey, Chestnut-throated, Black-throated, and Black Collared Apalises will be heard calling in intervals, other interesting birds to see on the trails include the Kandt’s and Yellow-bellied Waxbills, Mountain Yellow Warbler, and Moustached Tinkerbird will also be heard calling high up in the tree canopy. After lunch, the tour continues to Nyeri in search of the elusive Cape Eagle-Owl and the endemic Hinde’s Babbler. Birding here takes us through private farmlands, guided by a knowledgeable local community guide who is familiar with the precise sites where these species roost and feed. As evening falls, we settle into a charming lodge nestled between verdant hills and coffee farms. Here, we may be treated to the sight of a Montane Nightjar or the haunting calls of the African Wood Owl echoing through the night.

The Kenya Forest Birding Tour continues with a scenic drive through Aberdare National Park, where we focus on highland specialties and sought-after endemics. Key targets include the localized Aberdare Cisticola and the stunning Jackson’s Spurfowl. The park’s unique habitats also provide excellent chances of spotting other notable species such as Moorland Chat, Striped Flufftail, Kandt’s Waxbill, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Elgon Francolin, and the dazzling Red-tufted Malachite Sunbird. With its mix of bamboo stands, montane forest, and open moorlands, the Aberdares offer some of the most rewarding birding in Kenya’s highlands.

We shall also watch for the Cassin Hawk Eagle– a real forest raptor with very few confirmed records in Kenya that hunt through the canopy using the leafage and dark light of the forest to get its prey. The Cassin Hawk Eagle is mostly affiliated with the rainforests of the Congo Basin from Nigeria to western Uganda, Liberia to Togo, and more lately in western Tanzania The landscapes in the Aberdare National Park made it the inspiration behind The Lion King movie. Aberdare Park has lately been in the news; an Elephant was spotted suckling twins in one of the waterholes.

Exiting Aberdare National Park through the Mutubio Gate, we descend toward Ndunyu Njeru town and continue to the Kinangop Plateau — a high-altitude grassland that is home to another prized Kenyan endemic, the Sharpe’s Longclaw. Here, birding offers excellent opportunities to encounter species such as African Hobby , Jackson’s Widowbird, African Snipe, Lesser Jacana, among many others. The plateau’s open landscapes provide a striking contrast to the forests and moorlands visited earlier, rounding off the tour with yet another rich birding experience.

Expected time to be back in Nairobi by 0600hrs.