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 47–69 of 121 species

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Curruca communisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

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

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Avocet

Recurvirostra avosettaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Aug

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

Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
African Pygmy-falcon

African Pygmy-falcon

Polihierax semitorquatusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinagoLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-crowned Night-heron

Black-crowned Night-heron

Nycticorax nycticoraxLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

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Crowned Eagle

Crowned Eagle

Stephanoaetus coronatusNT

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Western Marsh-harrier

Western Marsh-harrier

Circus aeruginosusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Cuckoo

Cuculus canorusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–May

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

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

House Martin

Delichon urbicumLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Marsh Warbler

Acrocephalus palustrisLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Nov–Apr

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

Whinchat

Saxicola rubetraLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Sand Martin

Riparia ripariaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

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

Purple Heron

Ardea purpureaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Osprey

Pandion haliaetusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Common Swift

Apus apusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Spur-winged Goose

Spur-winged Goose

Plectropterus gambensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

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

Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchosLC

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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