Overview

Our Kenya Mega birding tour offers twenty-six days of non-stop birdwatching as we thoroughly explore this famous bird and wildlife country. Our 2007 tour smashed all records with an amazing 817 bird species recorded, plus an incredible diversity of large mammals and other wildlife. In fact, on our four Mega tours thus far, we have recorded an unbelievable 901 species (over 80% of Kenya's possible birds!) and 90 mammal species (an average of 77 per tour!). Not only is this safari specifically planned to obtain a huge list of mouth-watering birds and animals, but also Kenya’s most sought-after endemics and rarities.

Our tour kicks off with an exploration of the lush Shimba Hills and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Here we will seek out some of the rarest birds in Africa, including the diminutive Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit and Clarke’s Weaver. Next we travel through both Tsavo West and East reserves, offering excellent game viewing and a huge bird list. A visit to the isolated Taita Hills in search of the critically endangered Taita Thrush, Taita Apalis and Taita White-eye is truly memorable. We then search Mount Kenya’s forest clad slopes for avian gems such as Jackson’s Francolin, Abbott’s Starling and Abyssinian Crimsonwing. We enter the true arid zone at Samburu-Shaba where a wealth of new dry-country specials occur; possible highlights include Somali Courser and the nomadic Williams’s and Friedmann’s Lark. Traveling next to the dry woodlands of the beautiful Lake Baringo, we will search for new birds including Jackson’s Hornbill, Red-naped Bushshrike and Somali Sparrow. The famous west Kenyan forest of Kakamega will add a West African element to our tour as we tick off such forest gems as Blue-headed Bee-eater, Turner’s Eremomela, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye and Great Blue Turaco. After exploring the papyrus swamps and moist woodlands along Lake Victoria, we enter the plains to visit the grand Maasai Mara. Besides the incredible birds, here we will enjoy unrivalled game watching (sightings of large predators and teeming game can be expected), superb scenery, wonderful lodges and tented camps, friendly tribal people and a well-planned tour.

Tour Facts Top Birds
Sharpe's Longclaw, Sokoke Scops & Cape Eagle Owls, Sokoke & Malindi Pipits, Clarke's & Taveta Weavers, Hinde's & Scaly Babblers, East Coast Akalat, Green Barbet, Green Tinkerbird, Fischer's, White-crested, Ross's & Hartlaub's Turaco, Amani, Plain-backed, Tsavo, Violet-breasted & Golden-winged Sunbirds, Green-headed Oriole, Taita & Abyssinian Ground Thrushes, Taita Apalis, Taita White-eye, Jackson's Francolin, Aberdare Cisticola, Abbott's, Golden-breasted, Magpie & Fischer's Starlings, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Somali & Three-banded Coursers, Rock Pratincole, William's & Friedmann's Lark, Jackson's Hornbill, Red-naped Bushshrike, Somali Sparrow, Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver, Somali & Blue-headed Bee-eaters, White-headed Mousebird, Turner's & Yellow-vented Eremomelas, Yellow-bellied and Jameson's Wattle-eyes, Vulturine Guineafowl, White-spotted Flufftail, Bar-tailed Trogon, Hartlaub's Bustard, Sooty Gull, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, Eastern Black-headed and Forest Batis, Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar, Forbe's-Watson's Swift, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Pallid Honeyguide, Mombasa & Speckle-breasted Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Four-coloured Bushshrike, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-throated Tit, Uganda Woodland & Basra Reed Warblers, Somali Crombec, Southern & Yellow-bellied Hyliotas, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Equatorial Akalat, White-throated Robin, Chapin's & Gambaga Flycatchers, Fire-fronted & Zanzibar Red Bishops, Jackson's Widowbird, Red-throated & Brown Twinspots, Grey-headed Silverbill, Steel-blue Whydah, Cuckoo Finch, Papyrus Canary, Southern Grosbeak-Canary, Oriole Finch
Top Mammals
Lion, Leopard, Black & White Rhinoceros, Cheetah, Striped & Spotted Hyenas, Reticulated, Maasai & Rothschild's Giraffes, Angola Pied Colobus, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Serval, Golden-rumped Elephant-Shrew, Crested Porcupine, Small-spotted & Blotched Genets, African Civet, African Buffalo, African Elephant, Southern Tree Hyrax, Giant Forest Hog, Lesser & Greater Kudu, Harvey's Duiker, Suni, Sable Antelope
Habitats Covered
lowland & montane forests, Acacia savanna, papyrus swamps, rivers and wetlands, rocky gorges, grassland, semi-desert, coastal estuaries
Expected Climate
warm to hot, dry conditions, but cool at higher elevations and occasional rain can be expected
Max Group Size
6 with 1 Rockjumer leader
Tour Pace & Walking
Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.
Accommodation
comfortable to luxurious lodges, a few more basic hotels & tented camps
Ease of Birding
mostly easy birds with some difficult species
Number of Species Expected
760 - 800+
Other Attractions
Olorgasailie Prehistoric sites, Mt Kenya, Aberdare Mountains, Shimba Hills, Maasai Mara, Lakes Nkuru, Naivasha and Baringo, Masaai Tribe and other local tribes, African curios
Photographic Opportunities
Excellent
Tour Route Map Route Map Client Testimonials
KW & JG, Kenya 2018

Wayne Jones was great. One of his strengths is telling you what features to look for in a bird or sub-species, so that you know you have seen the key identification marks. We really appreciated that. He also put a lot of effort into making sure the poor-sighted got to see the bird too. We really enjoyed the trip and saw loads of new birds and heaps of fantastic animals.

EM, Kenya

This was an excellent trip! The combination of multitudes of fabulous birds and mammals, along with the scenery and natural/cultural history aspects of the trip made it the best I have taken, to date. Wayne did a great job. I would definitely travel with him again.

LH & JH, ABA Kenya 2018

All in all, our safari was wonderful. We were impressed with the level of organisation and the professionalism of Rockjumper's staff. We trusted our guides and drivers to keep us safe. It was evident that they love and respect the land, the locals, and the wildlife and birds, and take their responsibilities to travellers seriously... We are recommending Rockjumper to friends and let them know how much we appreciate the integrity and competence evidenced there.

JC & SC - Kenya

[Cuan's] enthusiasm for birding was unbeatable. He made every effort to make sure all members of the party saw every bird.... [He] respected all levels of birding knowledge and ability within the group, making those with beginning ability feel just as valued as the advanced birders.

Heinz Ortmann
RL, Kenya

Heinz Ortmann was charming and funny, outstanding on the birds and other animals, and excellent in dealing with the logistics. I would be very happy to travel with Heinz again.

Dates, Leaders and Pricing
2022 DEPARTURES
2023 DEPARTURES
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