Nairobi National Park Birding

Nairobi National Park: World-Class Birding on the City’s Doorstep

A Nairobi National Park day birding tour is one of the most sought-after experiences for birders eager to discover Kenya’s remarkably diverse birdlife alongside distinctive mammals year-round. Widely regarded as one of Kenya’s legendary birding destinations, the park offers unmatched opportunities for undivided day safaris dedicated to birdwatching. Over the past few years, Nairobi day birding tours have grown increasingly popular, thanks to the park’s excellent species diversity — from raptors and waterbirds to colorful grassland and forest dwellers — making it a must-visit for bird enthusiasts of all levels.

Nairobi National Park is one of the superb birdwatching destinations in Kenya, thanks to its proximity to a metropolis and the exceedingly high number of bird species recorded, which is strengthened by its reasonably small size. Nairobi National Park is a crucial stop-off for birds migrating to (and within) Africa. You are poised to see a huge variety of bird species, making the park the best choice for a day of birding in Kenya. Nairobi National Park birding is rated as one of Kenya’s most celebrated day birding hotspots and the whole planet. Many of our birding patrons have been introduced to East Africa’s splendidly diverse birdlife via our Nairobi National Park birding day safari. This relaxed and easy-paced day birding adventure visits varied habitats with various interesting bird species.

The Nairobi National Park day birding trip is one of those outings that has something for everyone; it is certainly a birder’s delight. Nairobi National Park day birding tour can get you close-up and personal with the incredible African Crowned Eagle and displaying male Kori Bustard, Secretary Bird, Martial Eagle, Short-winged Cisticola, the stunning and most iconic bird in Africa; African Fish Eagle with its milk-white head and tail,  the elusive charismatic African Finfoot, Palm-nut Vulture, Grey-Olive Greenbul, the exquisite Jackson’s Widowbird in full breeding dress, White-backed Night Heron, Rosy-breasted Longclaw,  Black Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs among many (many) others.

From the birders’ perspective, the park’s birdlife is largely undiscovered, so surprises are guaranteed. It is regarded as the “Last  Hidden Secret of Africa” due to the elevated numbers of birds distributed in a rich diversity of different habitats. A gem for birdwatchers to explore

Nairobi National Park offers temporary or permanent shelter to more than 520 bird species, making it an attractive choice for day birding trips in Kenya. Nairobi National Park is an exquisite birdwatching jewel and one of the best and most visited national parks for day birdwatching tours in East Africa. This small prized birding gem in the capital city of Kenya is hugely rich in wildlife, with a mouth-watering range of birds. Most of Kenya’s multi-day birding tours and wildlife safaris start or end in Nairobi National Park, making your birding tour complete and memorable.  Nairobi National Park is one of the top birding destinations in Kenya.

The park’s attraction as a day birdwatching destination par excellence has to be one of the world`s best-kept secrets. Depending on your time, we offer a half-day or a full-day birding tour in the Nairobi National Park, although we strongly recommend a full-day birding tour in the park. On a delightful birding day tour in Nairobi National Park,  you can enjoy the sights and sounds of more than 100 bird species. Although birding may be the main focus of the tour, we also spend time on other mammals in the park.

                      Ready for an extended birding safari?

Check out our  20 Days Kenya Birding Tour and our 22 Days Uganda Birding Tour

Sitting at an elevation of 1,500 to 1,700 meters above sea level, Nairobi National Park spans 117 square kilometers (45 square miles). Established in 1946, it is Kenya’s first national park.

Nairobi National Park, despite its modest size, is one of East Africa’s, Africa’s, and the world’s most diverse and interesting protected parks. Nairobi National Park is a classic modern marvel. The only natural wildlife park/birdwatching destination within a capital city’s limits worldwide. Nairobi National Park is an ingenious paradox; it provides an enormous option for day birding enthusiasts and safari lovers with a short time and looking for exploits not far from the city of Nairobi.

Nairobi National Park has many different habitats, ranging from savannah grasslands, open woodland, scrub, bush thickets, and dry wetland forests; others include rocky gorges, wetlands, rivers, and streams. The Park has prominently diverse indigenous flora comprising plants of more than 100 species. Nairobi National Park is the best place in the city to experience a wonderful sunset.

The Magic of Birding in Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park full-day birdwatching is filled with incredible birding opportunities throughout the year; daytime temperatures are always very enjoyable, with occasional rain from April to June and October to December.

The Park is one of the most pristine environments left on the earth, and the combination of grassland plains, swamps, savannah woodlands, dry upland forests,  rivers, and streams makes it the world’s exceptional birdwatching haven. The Nairobi Park is an ornithologically galore destination in its own right. Nairobi National Park’s most important environment is an open grass plain with scattered Acacia bushes. Nowhere else do you get this plethora of birds, mammals, and other delightful droves of nature in such a small area adjacent to a big city that is growing very fast

Nairobi National Park, which is the treasure in the crown of national parks in Kenya, has withstood many socio-economic and ecological pressures to preserve its biodiversity integrity and set the pace for Kenya’s renowned national parks. This is mostly attributed to the park having many different habitats, with each containing different species of birds, and an ecosystem composed of grasslands, forests, and riverine habitats.

There are several designated picnic sites within Nairobi National Park, where you are entitled to get out of your vehicle on the Nairobi National Park Birdwatching Day tour;

• Impala Observation Point: where you have a panoramic view of the park, a swamp below it has a lot of activity, and with your binoculars or telescope, you can spot some interesting birds such as the Saddle-billed Stork and Secretary Bird in the vast plains below and a Bateleur flying above

• The Ivory Burning Site: where in 1989 former President Moi set fire to 12 tons of Elephant Ivory in a bid to eradicate the mass massacre of Africa’s Elephants. The second burning happened in 2016 when a total of 105 tonnes of confiscated ivory were burned. The big acacia trees in the morning tend to be active with many birds feeding and singing; the area happens to be one of the most productive birding spots in Nairobi National Park, especially when visited in the early morning hours. Bird species: Spot-flanked Barbet, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Red-faced Crombec, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Dusky Turtle Dove, Purple Grenadier, Willow Warbler, White-bellied Tit,  White-rumped Swift, Ruppell’s Robin Chat, Sentinel Lark, Grey-capped Warbler, African Paradise Flycatcher (White morph) White-backed Vulture, Black Goshawk, Sombre Greenbul, Grosbeak Weaver,  Red-backed Scrub Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Purple Grenadier, Singing Cisticola, Black Cuckoo, Tropical Boubou, Holub’s Golden Weaver.

  

• Kingfisher Picnic Site: A green shaded area with huge acacia trees that host an array of birds in feeding parties, ideal for early morning birdwatching, the picnic site is named after a resident pair of Striped Kingfishers that has made the campsite its home, other bird species to encounter here include; Brown Parisoma, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Pygmy Kingfisher, Red-throated Tit, Nubian Woodpecker, Buff-bellied Warbler,  Spectacled Weaver, Holub’s Golden Weaver, African Grey Flycatcher,  Gabar Goshawk, Mountain Grey Woodpecker,  African Firefinch, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Red-fronted Barbet, White-bellied Canary, Yellow-bellied Eremomela,  Black-faced Waxbill, White-winged Widowbird, Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow. Lions and hyenas have often been encountered napping on picnic chairs  or lazily lying on the huge  acacia branches during the day
• Mokoyeti Picnic Site: An open clifftop site with shaded tables. This is where two rivers meet, Kiserian and Mbagathi, the best place to see the shy and elusive African Finfoot 
• Hippo Pools and Nature Trail: A short self-guided nature trail (guarded by Kenya Wildlife Service rangers) leads out of a shaded picnic area along the Athi River and offers the opportunity to view a variety of birds such as nesting White-backed Vultures, Brown Snake Eagle, Dwarf Bittern, Moustached Grassland Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher,  Southern Black Flycatcher, Violet Woodhoopoes, Von der Decken”s Hornbills, Snowy Barbets, Lovebirds in tree holes and White-backed Night Heron- scarce and hard to see species (strictly nocturnal)

Birdwatching and bird photography in these areas tend to be fruitful and fulfilling because you alight from the vehicle and get a chance to walk and interact closer with nature. There are many superb birding experiences in Nairobi National Park, a great place to start your birding journey in Kenya.

Want to make the most of your day? A private guided tour is the ultimate way to find the park’s rarest and most iconic species. Let our seasoned guides—who have been leading birding safaris for over 20 years—create a personalized itinerary just for you.

eBird Hotspot Link

Nairobi National  Park Mammals

Nairobi National Park has a large and diverse wildlife population; four of the big five mammals ( Lion, Buffalo, Rhino, Leopard) may also be encountered in the park. Other animals to be encountered on a day birding tour include: