Kenya

Birdwatching

Bird watching is an upcoming favourite past time amongst the Kenyans. It is evident that this has been influenced greatly by tourists visiting our country. Bird watching is just that – watching the birds without hunting or catching them. The are mainly interested in knowing more about birds – their names, origin characteristics, eating habits, etc.

It is common to see people with binoculars gazing up the sky just observing the birds. Usually they will have a book on birds to refer to just to try and identify the birds.

There are many spots in Kenya where one can go for birdwatching .
The bird gallery at the National Museum displays about 900 species and serves as an introduction and varied birdlife of Eastern Africa. The gallery is arranged to follow the order in which scientist believe birds evolved. Many of the exhibit cases include eggs and nests.

Species of interest include the greater and lesser flamingoes, which provide magnificent spectacles on saline lakes such as Nakuru and Bogoria. The skill of the weaver birds, of which Kenya has over forty species, is impressive. The colourful and often iridescent sunbirds occupy a similar ecological niche as the hummingbirds in the Americas.

Following are some of the spots to visit for birdwatching.
• Nairobi Snake park
• The Ostrich farm
• National Museums.