This comprehensive Kenya birding adventure is designed to showcase the country’s extraordinary ecological diversity, from highland grasslands and montane forests to arid savannas and coastal endemism hotspots. Over three weeks of birding, we expect to record an exceptional species list, alongside a remarkable array of mammals, dramatic scenery, and some of East Africa’s finest lodges and tented camps, all hosted by Kenya’s famously warm and welcoming people.

We begin in Nairobi before heading into the highlands of Kinangop and Soysambu Conservancy, where grassland and acacia habitats support a suite of localized species including Sharpe’s Longclaw, Aberdare Cisticola, and the striking Jackson’s Widowbird. From here we descend into the Rift Valley, exploring Lake Nakuru and continuing to the shores of Lake Victoria at Kisumu, where papyrus swamps and lakeside habitats offer specialties such as Papyrus Gonolek, Carruthers’s Cisticola, and the localized Papyrus Yellow Warbler.

Our journey then takes us into the famed Kakamega Forest, Kenya’s only true equatorial rainforest and a stronghold of Guinea-Congo biome species. Here we target an exciting collection of western forest specials including Blue-headed Bee-eater, Turner’s Eremomela, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye.

Heading back into drier country, we explore Lake Baringo and the Kerio Valley, where the dramatic shift in habitat produces a completely new avifauna. Key targets include Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Masked Weaver, Bristle-crowned Starling, Somali Sparrow, and Hemprich’s Hornbill. We then climb once more into the central highlands, birding the forests of the Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya, where montane specials such as Jackson’s Francolin, Bar-tailed Trogon, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, and Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon await, alongside regional endemics like Hinde’s Babbler.

From here we venture north into the semi-arid Samburu and Shaba National Reserves, one of Kenya’s most distinctive birding regions. This area is famed for its charismatic dry-country species, and we will search for Golden-breasted Starling, Vulturine Guineafowl, Somali Bee-eater, Williams’s Lark, and Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse.

After returning briefly to Nairobi, we head south into the vast landscapes of Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks, combining excellent big game viewing with a rich birdlife that includes dry-country specials and widespread savanna species. The nearby Taita Hills provide a sharp contrast, hosting some of Kenya’s most threatened and range-restricted birds, including the critically endangered Taita Thrush and Taita Apalis.

Our tour concludes along the Kenyan coast, beginning with the globally important Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and nearby coastal habitats. This is one of Africa’s most important centres of endemism, and we will search for a suite of highly sought-after species including Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Amani Sunbird and the scarce Kilifi Weaver. We then continue to Malindi before flying to the historic island of Lamu, where coastal birding takes on a different character. Here we will target one of East Africa’s most elusive and seldom-recorded species, the enigmatic Black Boubou - alongside a variety of coastal and island specialists. This unique finale, blending exceptional birding with rich Swahili culture, provides a memorable and fitting end to this truly diverse Kenyan adventure.