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August 24, 2023 - September 5, 2023
Kenya *FULL*
Join Bird Alliance of Oregon on the wildlife trip of a lifetime! One of the world’s most famous travel destinations, Kenya is renowned for its remarkable diversity of landscapes, animals and cultures. Kenya boasts over 1100 species of birds and all of Africa’s “Big 5” mammals, large herds of grazing herbivores, plus fascinating history, friendly people and delicious food. We’ll explore a wide variety of habitats, including Savannah, Wetlands, Semi-arid Scrubland, Desert Lava, Highland Forest, and Montane Grasslands. Our trip is timed to coincide with the great migration of Wildebeest, one of the “seven wonders of the natural world.” As well, bird migration will be ramping up quickly, so we are likely to experience an unparalleled array of avifauna.
Register today to travel with us to Kenya!
Join Bird Alliance of Oregon on the wildlife trip of a lifetime! We'll explore a wide variety of habitats, including savanna, wetlands, semi-arid scrubland, desert Lava, highland forest, montane grasslands, and rare equatorial forest.
RegisterOur trip begins in Nairobi National Park, where we will experience our first birds of Kenya such as Hadada Ibis, Hamerkop, Speckled Mousebird, White-headed Barbet, Long-tailed Fiscal, Variable Sunbird and Purple Grenadier. We’ll seek out the magnificent African Paradise Flycatcher and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, plus Martial Eagle (Africa’s largest), among the 500 species known here in the country’s oldest National Park. We also have our first chance at Black Rhino, African Lion, Maasai Giraffe and African Buffalo!
We then travel to Mt. Kenya, where dense forested mountain slopes are home to the Crowned Eagle and Bar-tailed Trogon, along with Silver-cheeked Hornbill, Tacazze Sunbird and Black-and-white Mannikins, and an array of forest mammals including monkeys, mongooses and even elephants. We will make our way to the Samburu Nature Reserve, famous for rare mammals including Beisa Oryx, Gerenuk, Grevy’s Zebra, Leopard, Cheetah, and Reticulated Giraffe, among many others. Birding is plentiful as well, with over 380 species in the park including Somali Ostrich, Northern Red Hornbill, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver and the technicolor Golden-breasted Starling.
We’ll search for the localized and rare Hinde’s Babbler in a protected patch, then make a stop to see the Mackinder’s Eagle Owl and meet the farmers who are working to protect this incredible species! Then we make our way to Lake Nakuru National Park, where huge flocks of Lesser Flamingos are often found, along with Wooly-necked Stork, Little Rock Thrush, a variety of cuckoos and many, many other birds. This park is also a refuge for Black Rhinos and the endangered Rothschild’s Giraffe.
We’ll stay near the shores of stunning Lake Naivasha where Colobus Monkeys and Maasai Giraffe roam freely. We’ll tour the lake by boat, where Hippopotomuses are plentiful, along with hunting African Fish Eagles and many species of kingfishers. We’ll also visit Kinangop Plateau, home to four of Kenya’s most sought-after endemics including the critically endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw.
Our final wildlife destination will be the famous Masai Mara National Reserve, described by many as the top safari destination in Africa and home to all of Africa’s “Big 5” mammals, plus over 500 species of birds, including an incredible 57 species of raptors! We will spend threeo days exploring the many habitats contained here, hoping for good looks at everything from the outrageous Schalow’s Turaco to the colorful near-endemic Usambiro Barbet, the fierce Secretarybird, and the Kori Bustard, the world’s largest flighted bird. Our trip is timed perfectly to witness the incredible Wildebeest migration, when up to 1.5 million of these giant antelope cross the Mara as they follow the seasonal rains! There is never a dull moment with herds of hoofed animals, African Elephants, and several big cats among the mind-blowing diversity of mammals in this park. Our visit with members of the Masai tribe will be a very special highlight on this very special journey.
Trip Details
- Trip leaders: Dan van den Broek and Candace Larson
- Trip Fee: $7,650 members / $8,450 non-members
- Deposit: $4,000
- Single supplement: $950 (Limited Single Supplements available, please consider sharing a room.)
- Group size: Limited to 10 participants
Fee Includes: All ground transportation within Kenya, 12 nights’ double-occupancy lodging, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, local guide fees, park entrance fees, excursions, and the services of your skilled leaders. A portion of your fee is a tax-deductible contribution to Bird Alliance of Oregon.
Fee Does Not Include: airfares and alcoholic beverages.