Common Ostrich
The largest living bird. Runs fast, kicks hard, and doesn't fly.
Marabou Stork
Large conspicuous bird common near farms, marshes, and even in cities. Comes to carion and visits garbage dumps.
Hadada Ibis
In flight these birds seem to announce 'HADADA' over and over. Glossy black-green. Bill and legs shorter than other ibises.
Greater Flamingo
Amazing pink bird with long graceful neck. Bill is also largely pink but with a dark tip. (Lesser Flamingos in forground.)
Yellow-billed Egret
All white except for bill. Legs and feet black. Catches fish, amphibians and large insects in shallow water. Smaller and with shorter neck than Great Egret.
Lesser Flamingo
Bill is solid dark red and the flamingo stands considerably shorter than the greater.
Helmeted Guineafowl
Large terrestrial bird with long neck, face w/ blue and red, stiff crest on head, and bulky speckled belly.
Lesser Moorhen
Beak mostly yellow and the bird is more diminutive than similar Common Moorhen.
Gray Crowned Crane
Iconic African bird with lon legs and crest of golden feathers. Grassy meadows ofen near water. Largely gray with black and white markings.
Black Kite
Soaring Black Kites are a ubiquitous site in both farming and urban areas of Kenya. The forked tail and nearly uniform dark brown plumage make them easy to recognize.
White-bellied Bustard
Large terrestrial bird that feed on ground, but capable of flight. Sides of face boldly marked contrasting reddish bill.
Double-banded Courser
A ground-dwelling bird with terra-colored plumage and huge dark eyess. Two dark bands across upper breast. Most active dawn and dusk.
Three-banded Courser
Hides on ground below shrubs during most of day with highly camouflaged plumage. Active dawn and dusk.
Spur-winged Lapwing/Plover
Sharply plumaged black, gray and white bird frequent on wet ground and near water bodies. Cap black.
Black-smith Plover
Similar to Spur-winged Plover. Bold white, black and gray, but notice this one has a white cap. Frequents shorelines and also short grass open areas.
Mourning Collared Dove
Stocky pigeon with black half-ring at back of neck and reddish skin around eyes and on legs. Remainder of bird is largely gray-brown.
Speckled Pigeon
Large common pigeon with a distinct red patch around the eye and white spots on a gray and brown mantle.
Laughing Dove
Smallish dove has orange bib with dark speckles. The wings are bluish and the remainder tawny-pink.
Speckled Mousebird
Long-tailed comical bird of gardens, orchards and forest edges. Eats much fruit.
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
Colorful birds with upright, alert posture often perched in open to catch flying insects.
Lilac-breasted Roller
Medium-sized, very colorful bird that hunts shrike-style from utility poles or exposed tree branches.
Hoopoe
Colorful and distinctively shaped bird with big crest that can be lowered. Common in savanna areas.
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Rather large and quite spectacular. Bill orange-red with head and breast pale gray. Bright blue in wings.
Common Bulbul
The head is dark brown, the belly mostly white and yellow under-tail coverts. Yes, a common Kenyan bird.
Barn Swallow
During the northern hemisphere winters this common bird is among those wintering in Kenya. Long, deeply forked tail.
African Pied Wagtail
Common bird of parks, lawns, pastures and farmland. Pumps long tail up and down as it forages along ground.
Mountain Wagtail
Note the black ring around the collar. Forages for insects and spiders along mountain side streams.
Olive Thrush
Strong, orange-red bill used for probing for invertebrates in the soil. Very common. Also feeds on fruits.
African Thrush
Gray back, light orange bill, pale throat and chest. Light yellow to orange on flanks. Forages esp. in lawns and pastures. Moist areas in W. Kenya.
Cape Robin-Chat
Like robins everwhere these birds forage in lawns for invertebrates. Broad white stripe above eye. Common
African Dusky Flycatcher
Small, pale, grayish brown bird with a fine bill. Alights on a low, open perch and sallies out after small flies. Common
Stout Cisticola
Tawny-beige with black streaks on wings and back. Rufous on head and nape. Thin beak for insectivore.
Long-tailed Fiscal
Open grassland with scattered trees is habitat for this white, black, and gray bird. Hooked beak and long tail.
Common Fiscal
Common and conspicuos bird of farmlands and suburbs. Sharply black and white. Heavy, balck bill.
Pied Crow
Large black and white birds ('pied') with heavy bill and often somewhat gregarious. Visits human-disturbed habitat like agricultural fields, cities and refuse dumps.
House Crow
Glossy black and brown crows with heavy bill. Becoming abundant especially in coastal Kenya in cities and refuse dumps.
Greater Blue-eared Starling
A glossy blue-black bird with a short tail and bright yellow eye. Irridescent colors vary depending on light direction. Darker blue patch behind ear.
Superb Starling
Very common bird of savannas, pastures and farmland. Photogentic & easily recognized.
Gray-headed Sparrow
Common to abundant gray-brown bird of gardens, farms and old fields. Noisy. Conical bill for seed eating.
Rufous Sparrow
Swatch of reddish brown on side of face, gray head, black throat patch. Small, common, seed eater in highland area gardens.
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver
Large, heavy black bill offset by snow-white head and chest. Rust orange on rump and coverts. Semiarid regions.
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Rich coffee brown back and tail. White stripe above the eye. Common seed eater often foraging on ground.
Baglafecht Weaver
Largely yellow with heavy conical bill. Black mask thru pale eye. Very common seed eater.
Eastern Golden Weaver
Largely golden-yellow with thick, black bill and burnt orange on face. Weaves nests near water.
Streaky Seed-eater
Common finch of highland gardens and farms. Note the thick bill, the broad white eyebrow, and the prominent streaking.
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Light brown and pale blue very small bird with conical bill often seen foraging for seeds on the ground. Females, like this one, lack the 'red cheek'.
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Oval patch of red on either side of face. Only the males, like this one, have the 'red cheek'.
Red-billed Firefinch
Small red (males) or grayish-red birds feeding often on ground. Lower mandible red. Common in towns.
Variable Sunbird
Probably the most common sunbird. Yellow on belly may be dull or bright. Sharply curved bill used for flowers.