Lake Naivasha Birding Tour

Kenya’s second-largest freshwater lake, Lake Naivasha, is truly a birder’s paradise—you have to see it to believe it!

This incredible lake is home to a spectacular diversity of bird species year-round, and during migration it transforms into an even more exciting birding hotspot. Whether you’re searching for the iconic African Fish Eagle, the striking Grey-crested Helmetshrike, elusive Lynes’s Cisticola, swift-flying Horus Swift, or specialties like Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Green Woodhoopoe, Giant Kingfisher, and the dazzling Beautiful Sunbird—Lake Naivasha promises rewarding sightings in any season.

Beyond birds, the lake also supports a rich abundance of wildlife, making every visit even more memorable. And with its location just over an hour’s drive from Nairobi, Lake Naivasha is easily accessible and perfectly suited for a day of birding. For many ornithologists and nature lovers, exploring Lake Naivasha is a dream come true.

Hamerkop

One of the many great things about birding tours in Kenya, you seldom travel far to see birds; they are everywhere, and exciting and accessible avian species may be seen by traveling a short distance from the capital city, Nairobi.

The lake has three rivers that feed it with fresh water, namely Gilgil, Malewa, and Karati. The Malewa River contributes almost 90 percent of the water to Lake Naivasha. All three rivers originate from Aberdare National Park.

Lake Naivasha is one of the most productive of the Great Rift Valley lakes, and at a size of 139 square kilometers, Lake Naivasha is a vital life source for not only the huge amount of wildlife but also for the many people who call this beautiful lake home. The best part about the lake, though, is the abundance of birds! The high productivity of the lake allows many bird species to thrive here, with over 300 species recorded. A belt of tall Yellow-backed Acacia woodland fringes the lake shore, which provides foraging and feeding grounds for many resident and migrant birds.

Birding in Lake Naivasha is done while walking on the shore to look for the many terrestrial bird species that call the acacia woodland home, and also by taking a boat ride to see and record the water birds. Other interesting birding places within Lake Naivasha include:  Eburu Forest, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Oloiden, Crater Lake, and Kinangop Plateau for the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw, and other area specialties such as the African Snipe, Jackson’s and Long-tailed Widowbirds, Levaillant’s Cisticola, and Lesser Moorhen.

Key Bird Species
Popular Bird Species to be seen on this Lake Naivasha Birding Tour: Great White Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, Goliath Heron, Giant Kingfisher, Gull-billed Tern, Black-tailed Godwit, Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Lynes’s Cisticola, Horus Swift, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, African Darter, and Giant Kingfisher.