Nairobi has one of the best unique fauna and avifauna opportunities you can have in any urban of the world. The capital of Kenya features a number of ornithological sites situated within where you can spend the morning awaiting your departure flight. Besides there are excellent avian spots in the surrounding areas within 2 hrs drive where you can go for a day safari for optimal birding experience. Some of these ornithological sites include

v Nairobi National park

The national park is in the capital just 36 minutes drive from the airport. The park is well known as an excellent exotic and endemic avifauna area boosting a checklist of about 520 species. The park’s extensive plains of untouched grasslands make the best habitat for long grass dependent avian species which are the most common bird varieties in the park. Such varieties include lappet faced vulture, sooty falcon, white bellied bustard, kori bustard and secretary bird. The park also boost a stretch of riverine vegetation along river Athi featuring a variety of forest adapted birds . In Nairobi national park you will not need to be an experienced birder to encounter over 100 species that are common and can easily be sighted from the comfort of your tourist vehicle with just a pair of binoculars.

v Nairobi Arboretum

This one of the prime green space within the capital covering approximately 30 ha. Despite the small size the park boost a prolific birdlife with over 100 bird species recorded. Here you can engage in a walking or jogging trail along a beautiful tree-shaded walkaway. Some of the most common species include turacos, common bulbul , pied crow and African pied wag-tail.

v Lake Magadi

Lake Magadi is just 106 kms from Nairobi and is the nearest destination for a single day flamingo sighting road trip from the capital.  Along the way you will pass through the scenic rift valley viewpoint with views of sights like the flora covered Ngong hills. The lake itself is hidden in the lowest point of the great rift valley and stuck between the Ngorongoro in Tanzania; and loita hills and Aberdare mountains in Kenya. From the lake shores you will enjoy breathtaking view of the steep Nguruman Escarpment. The lake is just… kms from Lake Natron which is the world’s largest flamingo breeding site. Lake Magadi offers a unique desert like environment akin to Lake Turkana in the far north border of the country. the adjacent Shompole conservancy is a great destination for sighting wildlife like Zebra, gerenuk, wildebeest and Jackal . The park is one of the few places where you an sight Somali ostriches.

v Lake Naivasha

The fresh water lake is 90 Kms from the capital. The lake is a popular ornithological site with over 400 recorded avian species habiting in the lake and its environment. The lake is one of Kenya best waterbird destination with over 12 duck varieties as well as several species of Ibis and herons and other semi aquatic species taking refuge in the 139 square kilometers lake. Both lesser and greater flamingos are common here especially in Lake Oloiden a separate alkaline water mass in the south west section.

v Karura forest

Situated within Nairobi, Karura is the world’s largest urban forest. Here you have an opportunity to walk along a walking track for about 2 hrs taking you through breathtaking flora scenes, bewildering natural formations and a possible encounter with over 200 greenwood avian species. The park is served by three rivers featuring waterfall, a lily lake and incredible caves. Birdlife in this park is quite impressive with over 50 species being highly prevalent and easy to sight.  Some of the birds include: silvery cheeked hornbills, dove, crested crane,  African wood owls, weavers, vultures, turacco  and eagle

v  Gatamaiyu forest

The bird sanctuary is part of the larger kereita forest a popular destination for nature and birds lover situated just 55kms from the capital. Characterised with alluring dense mountain flora and natural sights Gatamaiyu is one place where nature speaks for itself. Here the most sought after trail is the riverine walk along Gatamaiyu river valley beneath the towering dense forest canopy. The trail leads to 3 alluring waterfall sights and rocks outlandishly spread out in the waterway. Along the way you have an opportunity to encounter over 130 bird species among them the African green ibis one of the rarest of ibis species and which is endemic to central highlands ecosystems; and globally threatened abbot’s starling.

v  Paradise lost resort

Set on the outskirts of Nairobi the resort is an enthralling bird paradise with over 500 recorded bird species 60 of them being common and easy to sight in a single morning walk . The park offers one of the best picnic sites featuring a waterfall, coffee plantation and ancient caves. The caves believed to be over 2.5 millions years old are habitats for a larger number of bats. Other activities you can engage in include: camel riding, guided boat riding, swimming and feeding ostriches.

v Manguo swamp

The marshes are situated 40 minutes drive from the capital along Nairobi Naivasha highway and is a great stopover for birders driving from Gatamaiyu or lake Naivasha. The freshwater swamp act as a refuge to over 100 aquatic and semi-aquatic varieties that cannot survive in the soda lakes of the great rift valley. Here you will have the best opportunity to encounter duck species like White-faced Whistling-Duck, Red-billed Duck  and Yellow-billed Duck which spend most of their time rafting in  the water surface. Other avifauna species include: Lesser Swamp Warbler, cattle egret, African spoonbill, Kikuyu White-eye, Hadada Ibis, glossy ibis and African sacred ibis.

v Kilimambogo/ Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park

The small park mainly encompasses montane vegetation covering the scenic Ol Donyo Sabuk mountains.  Located just 85 km North East of the capital the park is one of the fauna and avifauna sanctuaries that are easily accessible from Nairobi. Ol Donyo Sabuk has 45 recorded bird species. Soaring to a height of 2145 m a.s.l birding in this park comes with quite a challenging but fascinating hiking trail leading you through alluring flora scenes and sweeping view of the snow-capped Mt Kenya. Some of the common birds include: mourning dove, pied wag-tail, African hawk eagle and sunbirds.

Some of the animals you are likely to come into an encounter with are bufallos, giraffes and duikers.

v Ngong road forest

This forest is situated just 6 km from the city centre on your way to magadi. Featuring one of the best indigenous forest ngong boost an out of the way tranquility setting to enjoy during your stay in the capital. The forest boost some of the popular birds in the forest reserve include :brown backed scrub robin, grosbeak weavers, grey capped warblers, African paradise flycatcher, African black duck, montane nightjar, African cuckoo hawk and African fish eagle. Ngong hill hike is one of the least challenging climb you can enjoy in a few hours walk.

For travelers heading to lake Magadi you can make a stopover at corner baridi on the southern edge of the park and which is one of the birding hotspot in the destination.

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Keywords: Nairobi, birding hotspot, ngong, lake magadi, Lake Naivasha, Nairobi arboretum, paradise lost, manguo swamp, Ol donyo sabuk, gatamaiyu forest, karura forest