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 24–46 of 121 species

Greenshank

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-bellied Bustard

White-bellied Bustard

Eupodotis senegalensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Hoopoe

Upupa epopsLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flavaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

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

Little Stint

Calidris minutaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

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

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carboLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon niloticaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-and-yellow Barbet

Red-and-yellow Barbet

Trachyphonus erythrocephalusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

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

Buzzard

Buteo buteoLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Squacco Heron

Ardeola ralloidesLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

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

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush

Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush

Monticola saxatilisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Hobby

Falco subbuteoLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

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

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapillaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Somali Ostrich

Struthio molybdophanesVU

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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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