Birds in Kenya

121 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Kenya has 121 bird species recorded regularly there: 53 residents, 49 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor, 13 passage migrants and 5 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 2.1 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Kenya in September

83 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 83 birds in September

Arriving in September: Willow Warbler, European Bee-eater, Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail, Golden Oriole, Common Snipe, Western Marsh-harrier, House Martin and 8 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Kenya each month: most in January (106), fewest in June (60). Choose a month to see its birds.

10683
Show as a table
Willow Warbler
Willow WarblerSmallest · 11cm
to
Common Ostrich
Common OstrichLargest · 275cm
From the Willow Warbler (11 cm) to the Common Ostrich (275 cm)47 families

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All 121 birds on the list

Showing 1–23 of 121 species

ResidentRecorded all yearSummer visitorArrives to breed; scarce or absent in winterWinter visitorPresent outside the breeding seasonPassage migrantSeen mainly in spring and autumn migrationScarceRecorded in some years but not every yearCommonAmong the most-recorded birds in its best monthUncommonRecorded regularly, but on a minority of outingsRareFew records, even in its best month
Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiacaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Fork-tailed Drongo

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied Crow

Pied Crow

Corvus albusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Ardea cinereaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cattle Egret

Cattle Egret

Ardea ibisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Helmeted Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagrisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lesser Striped Swallow

Lesser Striped Swallow

Cecropis abyssinicaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Common Ostrich

Common Ostrich

Struthio camelusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucosLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler

Phylloscopus trochilusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Ardea albaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Purple Grenadier

Purple Grenadier

Granatina ianthinogasterLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blue-naped Mousebird

Blue-naped Mousebird

Urocolius macrourusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

Merops apiasterLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spotted Flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striataLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wheatear

Wheatear

Oenanthe oenantheLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurioLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Egret

Little Egret

Egretta garzettaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
African Jacana

African Jacana

Actophilornis africanusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Secretarybird

Secretarybird

Sagittarius serpentariusEN

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made

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