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Home , Abyssinian ground thrush, Acacia tit, African blue flycatcher, African grey flycatcher, African scops owl, Augur buzzard

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in

Set Departure Tour: May 9th to May 31st 2013

Tour Leader: Adam Scott Kennedy Tour driver and local guide: John Chege Tour Participants: J.L. & Nancy Walter and Mike Walsh

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 Introduction

Kenya is a mind-blowing birding destination at any time of year but our May departure was especially well-timed. Not only did we enjoy the best weather imaginable, but we arrived in time to see a majority of resident in full breeding plumage, intra-African migrants just arriving, and we even caught the tail-end of the Palearctic migration, particularly good on the front. This classic set departure tour covered the vast array of to be found within Kenya, through the verdant -Congolese at Kakamega; the Afro-montane of Mount Kenya, the Aberdares and Taita Hills; the very full Rift Valley lakes and papyrus swamps of Lake Victoria; the endless plains of the Masai Maral; the semi-arid bush of Tsavo East and West; and finally the - rich coastal of Arabuko-Sokoke. In total, we recorded 603 bird , of which 582 were seen and, as is usual, we missed some typically “easy” species but made up for it with great views of some very tricky species instead – that’s birding for you! It should be mentioned that this was a relaxed tour with no ridiculously early starts or very late finishes; instead, we took our time and enjoyed our birding and, with three keen photographers on-board, we made the most of the fabulous encounters that came our way. In addition, we observed 55 species and 14 .

Itinerary

DATE DESTINATION 9th May ARRIVE TO NAIROBI 10th May LAKE MAGADI 11th May NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK 12th May TO MOUNT KENYA 13th May MOUNT KENYA 14th May MOUNT KENYA & NARO MORU 15th May SOLIO PLAINS & THE ABERDARES 16th May LAKE NAIVASHA, KINANGOP & LAKE NAKURU 17th May LAKE NAKURU & LAKE BARINGO 18th May LAKE BARINGO, KERIO VALLEY & KAKAMEGA 19th May KAKAMEGA 20th May KAKAMEGA 21st May KISUMU (LAKE VICTORIA) TO MASAI MARA 22nd May MASAI MARA 23rd May MASAI MARA 24th May MASAI MARA TO NAIROBI 25th May TSAVO WEST 26th May TSAVO WEST 27th May TSAVO WEST, TAITA HILLS & TSAVO EAST 28th May TSAVO EAST & TO MALINDI 29th May ARABUKO-SOKOKE FOREST 30th May ARABUKO-SOKOKE FOREST 31st May ARABUKO-SOKOKE FOREST

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 9th May The group rendezvoused at the Redcourt Hotel and took an afternoon stroll around the small gardens and roads nearby the hotel to get a first taste of African bird life. Close to the main bar area, a selection of common garden birds were found to include Red-billed Firefinch and their brood- parasite the Village Indigobird, tiny Bronze Mannikins, Speckled Mousebird, House and Kenya Rufous Sparrows, and Streaky Seedeater while overhead were Little in numbers and a few Fischer’s x Yellow-collared Lovebird hybrids screeching past at high speed. Along the roadside nearby, we enjoyed our first of many Hadada Ibis, Red-eyed Dove, , Winding and Superb Starlings, among others. This was a nice way to get our eyes honed-in on some of the commoner species that we’d see with regularity on the rest of the tour.

10th May Our destination for the day was Lake Magadi but, with so many excellent birds to stop and enjoy en- route, at times it was looking like we may never make it! With driver John negotiating his way out of the Nairobi traffic with great aplomb, we soon found ourselves at one of the higher points of the southern Rift – the aptly named Corner Baridi (meaning “cold corner”). A light mist covered the hillsides but this soon burned away as the first rays of sun kissed the short grass. Good numbers of Yellow-crowned Canary kept us entertained and bobbed nearby before two dropped in beside us – Short-tailed Larks! Great views were had as they fed at close range and then a Bare-eyed began to sing from the nearest tree. What a start!

Short-tailed , Magadi Road

We slowly made our way down the hills of Magadi Road stopping every kilometre or so for more great birds including Singing Cisticola, Red-fronted Barbet, Schalow’s Wheatear, Nubian Woodpecker, Black-backed Puffback, Golden-winged , Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Hildebrandt’s Starling, Mottled Swift, Ostrich, Taita Fiscal, and , and stunning White-throated Bee-eaters sitting on the overhead wires, among many others. Before we knew it lunchtime was upon us so we stopped to enjoy the view of Lake Magadi, under what was by now a very hot sun, and could see a wash of pink over the water; it was covered with flamingos. As we finished lunch, a male Somali Golden-breasted Bunting sang nearby and as we watched he and his mate hop around, we picked up more treats in the shape of Black-throated Barbet and Northern .

After lunch, we drove to the Magadi pans for closer views of Lesser and Greater Flamingo and a very smart-looking Yellow-billed Stork fed beside us. One of our target species, the alkaline-lake-loving

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 Chestnut-banded Plover was then spotted and we enjoyed close views of 8 of these smart little , feeding alongside Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, both in reddish breeding plumage. Red- billed Teal, Grey-headed Gull and Pied Avocet provided part of the supporting cast of other goodies here. The journey back to Nairobi was hot and fairly uneventful although a young, large and very brown-looking Lanner caused a little excitement.

Chestnut-banded Plover, Lake Magadi

11th May As entered Nairobi National Park – the only “within-city-limits” National Park in the world – we were greeted by a group of Olive Baboon and once through the main gate we drove slowly while listening to the sounds of new birds, stopping where we could to see Slate-coloured Boubou, African paradise Flycatcher and Yellow-breasted Apalis. A pair of African Black Duck were spotted flying above the forested river valley but the views were not great – this is a good record for the park. We walked the Club House gardens to find White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Dusky Turtle Dove and the dainty Red- cheeked Cordon-bleu, and a grumpy-looking Warthog took to following us around for a while. At the “Ivory Burning” site, a White-headed Barbet perched above us while Holub’s Golden Weaver, Little Bee-eater and Bronze and Variable occupied our eyes at lower levels. Around the corner, we stopped to enjoy displaying Red-collared Widowbirds and we had brief views of Parasitic Weaver (aka Cuckoo [which is neither a finch or weaver but actually a yellow Whydah!]) but this was to be our best sighting of the species on the tour.

Along the Park’s northern road we stopped at a reed-filled marsh to try our luck with African Water Rail and were successful with two rails and a Black Crake responding to us here, and at Hyena Dam we had reasonable views of singing Little Rush Warbler while male Grosbeak Weavers were actively nest-building. Further along the road, we encountered scores of Jackson’s Widowbird, including some displaying close to the vehicle, a few Grey Crowned Crane and a party of four stunning Zebra Waxbill. A huge Martial guarded her nest while Rufous-naped Larks and Yellow-throated literally littered the road. We stopped at the Karen Primary School dam to enjoy the displaying Yellow-crowned Bishops bouncing around the reed tops like giant bumble-bees, and our driver John spotted something lurking on the other side of the dam – a Lesser Moorhen! This was a brilliant find, especially given how far away and hidden it was. By now, we’d begun to muster quite a list of plains game but we had more target birds to bag before we could enjoy lunch including Pangani that we saw at close range in the Whistling Thorn thickets. A group of Marabou Stork and vultures, including White-backed, Ruppell’s and Lappet-faced, frequented another dam, no doubt having a drink and a wash after a bloody meal and we then headed out towards Athi Dam,

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 finding a pair of Secretarybird along the way. Surprisingly, there were few birds on the dam but nearby we had close-up views of Yellow-throated Spurfowl and another pair of Secretarybird.

After lunch, it began to get a little hot and many birds seemed to be resting but there was still a lot to see including Striped Kingfisher, Black-shouldered Kite and White-browed . By the time reached the Kisembe Forest, the clouds had built up and sure enough it began to spit with rain just as we began our search for the as-yet undescribed Nairobi but it could not be located. With the already bad tracks getting soaked, we headed out of the forest, flushing a brilliant Hartlaub’s Turaco from low ground on the way, and made our final stop at the Nagolomon dam where we found a nesting colony of Black-crowned Night Heron and several African Darter. It was getting dark and late as we headed out of the park but our final surprise of the day was found walking along the road – a huge male Lion. He stopped at the roadside and was then joined by his brother, who was equally big and impressively maned and we got to enjoy the brothers grooming each other for 10 minutes all to ourselves. This was the perfect end to a great day in the park.

12th May We hit the road early to make good use of the quiet Sunday morning traffic and after travelling past Thika we found ourselves our site for the endangered Hinde’s Babbler. We hadn’t been at the site for long when two birds appeared and “babbled” nicely for us at the top of the nearest tree. Also of note here were a party of Southern Black Flycatcher, an Eastern Honeybird and the first of our many Grey-headed Kingfisher sightings. Upon leaving the site, another Hinde’s babbler was head calling but would not show for us.

We then headed towards Mount Kenya, stopping en route to view Purple Heron and Yellow- crowned Bishops on the way. As we entered the Forest Service gate at the edge of the forest, the good birds started to show, with Montane Oriole, African Dusky Flycatcher, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Mountain and Scaly showing well within minutes. As we checked into our lodgings, a pair of Crowned displayed noisily overhead and we then enjoyed a healthy lunch surrounded by 100+ sunbirds in the adjacent trees, including our best views of Eastern Olive and the stunning Tacazze.

Black-throated Apalis, Mt Kenya

After lunch, a stroll around the lush gardens revealed family groups of Hunter’s Cisticola, Grey- headed Negrofinch (Nigrita), Kandt’s Waxbill (now split from the western Black-headed Waxbill), a few Chestnut-throated Apalis and a very obliging Black-throated Apalis at eye level and then an equally obliging immature Martial Eagle cruising overhead. A little more distant, but no less

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 impressive was the sight of an immature Ayre’s Hawk Eagle diving at break-neck speed into the forest but whether the bird struck its quarry we’ll never know. With recent sightings of African Olive Ibis reported from this site, we decided to do a stakeout where we would have a good chance of watching them fly into roost but, as it happened on this occasion, they called vociferously from the other side of the ridge just out of view. Nevertheless, this was probably the best “heard only” bird record of the trip and we were continually entertained by small numbers of Red-fronted Parrot flying into roost until it was dark.

13th May Our eyes and ears were open to prospect of early morning African Green Ibis again but without success. Instead, we walked the forested pathways of our lodge finding Brown-throated Warbler, Thick-billed Seedeater and numerous species including Eastern Mountain, Yellow- whiskered and Slender-billed, plus Ruppell’s Robin- and a tiny, but very smart, White-browed Crombec. We then had the good fortune of meeting up with the lodge’s resident birder, Hudson, who quickly pointed out a tall tree where the rare Abbott’s Starling frequently sits. Within moments, three birds arrived to prove the power of local knowledge! A Cinnamon Warbler was also enjoyed here before it was time for breakfast then move on to our next site – the Serena Mountain Lodge.

Here we spent the afternoon watching the skies, waterhole and surrounding forest for birds from the rooftop terrace from where we added more species including Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Oriole Finch, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon and Mountain Yellow Warbler plus an amazing number of Red- fronted Parrots flying to roost that must have topped 170 birds. Late in the evening, a Verreaux’s Eagle flew to the waterhole and we had great scope views. Over dinner, we were alerted by the staff that a Leopard had arrived at the waterhole so we made a dash to the balcony to watch this wonderful parade around the numerous Bushbuck that had gathered but it was not in a position to attack. Even later that night, we got the call that a Giant Forest Hog had arrived and we all managed good views of this impressive and secretive forest beast!

Leopard, Tsavo West

14th May After a quick scan over the waterhole and breakfast, we made our way to the car park area where he had great difficulty departing on time due to some cracking birds on show including Abyssinian Crimsonwing, a close-up Mountain Yellow Warbler and a pair of White-browed Crombec, to name a few. Eventually, we had to pull ourselves away and head off to the Meteorological Station Road, which was a pleasant drive for us passengers but obviously challenging for our driver John, who

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 handled the bumps, holes and hills of the climb with great aplomb! Reaching the end of the track, we were greeted by three Jackson’s , a mother and her two offspring which were as tame as any we encountered on the trip! With one target species down, we spread out to try for the next and almost immediately Mike found it – a superb Abyssinian Ground Thrush. It showed well several times for us but kept disappearing into a thicket with food in its bill – a clear sign of breeding success.

Jackson’s Francolin, Mt Kenya

With two targets in the bag, we sauntered a little further up the hill but birds were few and far between but brief views of a skulking Evergreen Forest Warbler was our only sighting of this species on the tour. We headed back to the main gate, finding several more Jackson’s Francolin along the way and a soaring Mountain over the gate itself before we continued onwards to our accommodation at Naro Moru.

In the afternoon, we walked the stunning grounds of the lodge, accidentally disturbing a huge Crowned Eagle that was no doubt stalking the group of Guereza Colobus that were feeding nearby, and other smart birds included African Paradise Flycatcher, Mountain Wagtail and Chin-spot Batis. Late afternoon, we took a short drive to the edge of the Solio Plains to connect with Red-capped Lark, Plain-backed Pipit and flocks of Jackson’s Widowbird and the stunning Long-tailed Widowbird.

Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Mt Kenya

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 15th May Departing our cottages around 7am, we were greeted by numbers of Red-fronted Parrot feeding in the pines overhead; this was a great chance to see a species that is typically encountered only in flight. With the Aberdare Mountains in our sights, we drove out on a different track through the Solio Plains, picking up Black-bellied Bustard and Black-winged Plover along the way. We made a special stop for an encounter with a stunning Mackinder’s Eagle Owl that was roosting on the edge of a cliff and we also enjoyed close views of Meyer’s Parrot at this site before heading to the gate of the Aberdare National Park. Once inside the gate, we soon found ourselves enjoying a pair of Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle displaying acrobatically and a Scaly Francolin scowled at us from next to the vehicle. On our ascent of the mighty Aberdares, we encountered some impressive African Elephant, Golden- winged Sunbird and another sighting of Crowned Eagle displaying. After lunch, we drove to the high plateau of the range where we immediately found our first Aberdare Cisticola singing nearby. We tried our best to find Moorland Francolin but had to settle for many more views of Jackson’s Francolin instead, which looked quite at home on the moors. Other goodies on the plateau included a stunning male Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird and a few parties of Moorland Chat.

Mackinder’s Eagle Owl, near Solio Plains

Descending the mountains, we dropped in on what is “usually” a reliable site for Sharpe’s Longclaw and, despite an hour-long search of perfect , we turned up nothing. Had this rapidly declining species disappeared from yet another site? We’d try again the following day to find out.

16th May We walked the leafy gardens of our lodge at sunrise to find Black-lored Babbler (“nothing to do with Darth Vader!”), several Green Wood-hoopoe, an out of place African Thrush and some noisy White- browed Robin-Chats, before heading off to the lakeshore for a boat trip. This was a real treat as we were treated to some excellent birds including Giant Kingfisher and Great Spotted Cuckoo, and great light on more common species like Pink-backed and Great White Pelican, Whiskered Tern and African Fish Eagle, ideal for the photographers. After a while we raced across the lake to try another spot where we encountered Long-toed Plovers, a large flock of Ruff, Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper, and then some large gulls that appeared rather odd so went closer for a better look. We soon identified them as Heuglin’s Gulls and one Lesser Black-backed but one of the Heuglin’s, an adult, appeared especially pale-backed and, after some research, appears to be of the race taimyrensis, which was quite a find in as we typically find the darker-backed western birds here. On the grassy island, a variety of plains game grazed as if they were living in a Lost World and were quite the picture of serenity.

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 Back on terra firma, we headed back to the Kinangop Plateau in search of the Sharpe’s Longclaw, this time with one of the local researchers/ guardians on-board to help us. He took us to the site we tried the previous day and, within minutes, he had located the longclaw for us – not in the rough tussock grass habitat they usually prefer but on the adjacent cultivation with the local farmers toiling the earth nearby! We were bowled over by the bird which seemed quite relaxed in our presence and we managed to get some great images of this highly endangered species. Nearby, Long-tailed Widowbirds were common and a Common Quail called in the long grass adjacent to us. We decided to let it continue belting out its “wet me’ lips” call without disturbing it and headed back to the vehicle for our descent of the plateau.

Sharpe’s Longclaw, Kinangop

On our way to Lake Nakuru National Park, we called in at Sunbird Lodge for a view of Lake Elementaita and a quick soda … and some smart local birds too. Here we picked up Nyanza and Mottled Swifts, Red-winged Starling, White-bellied , Schalow’s Wheatear, great views of Scarlet- chested Sunbird and some stunning Purple Grenadier feeding almost at our feet. A Yellow-bellied Waxbill, or Swee, took off from the track to show us its brilliant red rump; this is a good record for the site.

Mocking Cliff Chat, Lake Nakuru

Reluctantly, we hit the road again and made our way to the park, finding some attractive White- fronted Bee-eater soon after passing through the gate. Due to the very high water levels of the lake, we had to make some changes to our desired route around the lake but eventually made it round to

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 Baboon Cliffs in search of some of the specialities. By now, the sun was very hot and although we enjoyed spectacular views, the birds had taken shelter and not performing. After lunch, we continued along the trails turning up treats like Hildebrandt’s Francolin, Gull-billed Tern, Kirk’s Dik- dik and a stunning Red-headed Weaver before making our way to the Muyas Causeway where we had a very close encounter with a relaxed White Rhino, which was simply HUGE! A Common Sandpiper and a Three-banded Plover showed nicely for us and there was a good amount of herons, ibis and wildfowl on show before headed up to our accommodation for the night.

17th May The next morning started well with a herd of several thousand Cape Buffalo meandering slowly past the rear of our cottages and a male Little Rock Thrush singing outside our respective front doors! Following a swift breakfast, we headed out to see what raptors we could find basking in the early morning light but the only birds of note were a smart and several dark . To add a little splash of colour, we located a pair of Golden-breasted Buntings next to the road and stopped to enjoy them as they preferred to play hide-and-seek with us from behind a large Yellow- barked . Back at Muyas Causeway, it was very busy with birds and we stopped there for over 30 minutes, watching as the various waders, herons, ducks and terns, including our first White- winged Black Terns of the trip, went about their business.

We headed to another spot on the lakeshore where good numbers of flamingo of both species were resting and and picked up a few more ducks and waders for the trip list, and three more White Rhino, before heading to Makalia Falls where we took time to enjoy the cool mist of the waterfall and good views of Mountain Wagtail. Around lunchtime, we had arrived back at Baboon Cliffs where, this time, the good birds were showing very well including Mocking Cliff Chat, Pale Flycatcher, White-bellied Tit, another stunning male Red-headed Weaver and a huge mixed flock of swifts including the resident Nyanza. Unfortunately, a pesky Olive Baboon decided to join Nancy in the vehicle for lunch but was soon sent packing with a strong blow from her elbow into his ribs!

African , Lake Baringo

After a quick stop in Nakuru town, made a bee-line for Lake Baringo and after settling in to our accommodation, we headed out with Francis, one of the nicest and most efficient local guides in Kenya. He had staked out some of the more difficult nocturnal species that morning so we spent little time in finding African Scops Owl, Slender-tailed , Heuglin’s , Spotted Thick- knee and a mixed pair of Greyish and Spotted Eagle . Other good finds included Pygmy Batis, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Mouse-coloured Penduline-Tit, and Hunter’s Sunbird.

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013

Over dinner, the captive Ostrich at Soi safari Lodge was “booming” and made for interesting listening over dinner. [I think the irony of the bird appearing “wing-clipped” was lost on the other lodge guests though! Adam]

18th May Before an early breakfast, we enjoyed great views of a pair of Fan-tailed Raven on the lodge’s roof and group of Spot-flanked Barbet “wooped” nearby. Francis had a boat and coxman ready and waiting for us for another trip out on the water and within a minute of launching we were watching a male at close range. As we headed out onto the flooded lake, we also found a Striated Heron on the nest, a African Darter posing with outstretched wings and a fine Madagascar Bee-eater basking in the morning rays. On open water, we had lovely views of African Fish Eagle fishing and then floated over the grounds of Robert’s Camp and Baringo Club, both of which had suffered terribly with the flooding, to find a colony of White-billed Buffalo Weaver and a partly-hidden Verreaux’s Eagle Owl. Other highlights of the trip included Red-chested Cuckoo showing well in the open, an obliging Goliath Heron, more Madagascar Bee-eaters, Black Crake, numerous weaver species, a slow ride around the heron “rookery” (or should that be “heronry”?) plus some close encounters with a few crocodile that were ready to snap up any falling chicks from the precarious heron nests.

Back on shore, we headed to the “Thirsty Goat” restaurant in what remains of Robert’s Camp where the head waiter kindly fed the birds and furnished us with some ice-cold sodas. Jackson’s and Red- billed Hornbills scoffed at the bird buffet and were soon joined by Parrot-billed Sparrow and a selection of weavers, and a Pearl-spotted Owlet came in to Francis’ imitation of the bird to give us close views. We then headed to Baringo Club next door where an African Scops Owl was accidentally discovered next to the main pathway and we added a fine Woodland Kingfisher to our list. We took a short drive to the Baringo Cliffs where we found Brown-tailed Rock Chat, Lead-coloured Flycatcher, Green-winged Pytilia and Northern , among others before it was time for an early lunch and the drive to Kakamega, where we arrived around 7pm.

19th May I must start by suggesting to anyone who has never had the good fortune to stay at Rondo Retreat that they really should start making plans ASAP! Not only is it a little corner of natural serenity but the staff are among the most charming, helpful and welcoming you will find anywhere in Kenya. During our stay, we always checked the huge Elgon Olive tree that dominates the manicured garden and where a pair of Crowned Eagle had built a nest and were regularly in attendance. On the down side, this used to be the most reliable place to enjoy the spectacular Great Blue Turaco (they also used to nest there) but since Africa’s top avian predator decided to move in they had been keeping their distance. Among the birds seen in the gardens were African Blue Flycatcher, Green-headed Sunbird, Mackinnon’s (Fiscal) and both Grey-throated and Double-toothed Barbets. We headed down to the pools at the end of the garden early in hope of enticing some White-spotted Flufftail to show but were unsuccessful. They did finally respond to us but were a little distant to warrant a long wait.

Instead, we spent the rest of the morning walking along the main track through the forest, stopping every few metres to view a multitude of exciting forest birds. Probably the star bird of the morning was a Red-chested Owlet that our local guide Ben had whistled to and it responded softly from fairly close range but could we find it? We split up just a short distance and just as Adam found the bird and got everyone onto it, a mobbing Common struck the owl on the head and it disappeared

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 before we got to enjoy the bird sitting low and in the open. Many other species came in to mob the owl and we could see roughly where it was hiding but it was simply not visible. After more than 30 minutes of searching and almost at the point of us moving on, the bird suddenly materialised from the forest gloom and we had nice views for the next 10 minutes. Other birds that morning included Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, White-chinned and Banded Prinias, Bocage’s , Western Black-headed Oriole, Black-collared Apalis, Chubb’s Cisticola, a multitude of including the flashy Joyful, and Vieillot’s Black Weaver.

After lunch, we headed to where the small river meets the main track through the forest and were rewarded with some great birds including Turner’s Eremomela, Black-billed Weaver, , Square-tailed Drongo and flocks of Stuhlman’s Starling. It was an overcast afternoon and there was not too much activity but a White-spotted Flufftail was calling in a swamp nearby but refused to reveal itself. Back at the Rondo Gate, a Broad-billed Roller flew by and at dusk a pair of Bat Hawk emerged from their roost and graced us with some acrobatics before heading off to hunt.

African Blue Flycatcher, Kakamega

20th May On our second morning at Kakamega, we headed to the main forest station and pump house trail. From the car park, we had nice views of Green Sunbird feeding in some exotic Bottle-brush trees. Down the trail, we encountered some skulking Mountain Illadopsis but could only hear Brown Illadopsis. Other good birds here included Bar-tailed Trogon, African Broadbill, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Red-headed Malimbe and Hairy-breasted Barbet. We took another track past the forest station where Equatorial Akalat and Red-tailed were calling but we failed to get decent views. Instead, we satisfied ourselves with better Brown-chested Alethe, and Dark-backed Weaver. Returning to Rondo, Swallows were in evidence over the tea plantation and after lunch, at least six Great Blue Turaco called noisily at the bottom of the gardens before showing themselves very well to us and other interested guests. We experienced a heavy downpour in the middle of the afternoon which seemed to get a lot of birds very active, especially the local Grey-throated Barbets, and once the rain stopped we walked around the pools at the bottom of the garden and tried our luck calling with flufftails once more but without success. We did get nice views of Grey-winged and Snowy-crowned Robin- chats here however and a fine Yellow-crested Woodpecker showed well in the garden.

21st May

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 After an early breakfast, we took the road to Kisumu and arrived to find a fine Western Banded Eagle perched next to the road and a smart male Red-chested Sunbird fed eagerly nearby. Other birds of note here were small gatherings of Papyrus Canary (mixing with White-bellied Canary), stunning Black-crowned Gonoleks feeding at close range, Carruther’s Cisticola, Yellow- backed Weaver and a pair of Double-toothed Barbet showed especially well in the clear morning light. At the point, we were surprised to find a party of Yellow-throated Greenbul (or Leaflove) feeding just above us while the papyrus held Slender-billed Weaver, Swamp Flycatcher and a fairly obliging Greater Swamp Warbler. We then played a game of hide-and-seek with a Grey Woodpecker on a pole that was very reluctant to show itself, preferring to spin around and keep out of view as best it could. We then travelled a short distance to admire some Southern Red Bishops on the edge of the Ahero rice fields and also found our first Open-billed Storks of the trip, among the numerous egrets, ibis and waterfowl. It was then time to hit the highway again and make our way towards the Masai Mara. Due to the poor condition of the usual roads, we chose to make a long diversion and didn’t arrive at Mara West until just after 7pm.

Western Banded Snake Eagle, Kisumu

Red-throated Wryneck, Masai Mara

22nd May We were greeted with stunning views of the Mara from our high vantage point on the escarpment which we drove slowly down just after breakfast. We got lucky with nice views of a Red-throated Wryneck and Black-crowned Tchagra before reaching the Oloololo Gate where other good birds

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 included Red-necked Spurfowl and some very tame Sooty Chat. The grass was very long on the plains and this would have an impact on how many birds we would eventually see. On the plus side, there were big numbers of widowbirds especially Jackson’s, Red-collared, Fan-tailed and Yellow- mantled but also a few flocks of White-winged. There were also large numbers of but the vast majority were Stout with a few Zitting, Pectoral-patch and Croaking also in the mix, and also flocks of both Cardinal and Red-billed while some close-up Wattled Plovers were new for the trip. Yellow-throated Longclaw and Buffy Pipit were common on the ground and Bateleurs were omnipresent up in the air with Martial, Long-crested and Black-chested Snake Eagles also making the occasional appearance.

As one would expect in the Mara, the game was spectacular and we had good sightings of 6 Lion, 2 Black Rhino and many tens of Elephant on the plains while Hippo and Nile Crocodile showed well in the Mara River. The flooded landscape made access tricky in places but we still managed to find Horus Swift and Saddle-billed Stork before lunch.

Lion, Masai Mara

Black Rhino, Masai Mara

In the afternoon, we made our way through even thicker grassland south of the Serena Lodge, where there were 100s of African Quailfinch springing from the roadside as we passed; eventually we managed to get close enough to some for photos but it took a while. Six Harlequin Quail were also flushed during the afternoon but most other birds seemed quite relaxed including Secretarybird, Black-bellied Bustard and Grey Kestrel which we found after a sojourn to the

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 Tanzanian border to glance upon the Serengeti. Returning to Oloololo Gate, we encountered a scruffy young Dark Chanting Goshawk and a fine Rufous-bellied Heron but best sighting of the afternoon was certainly a Serval that walked casually towards us on the road before finally disappearing into the long grass. Back at Mara West, a flock of 10 Plover were feeding busily on the lawns – a nice way to end a busy day in the Mara.

23rd May After breakfast we headed slowly down the escarpment road and, with more time on our hands, we were able to walk for a while. This was great as it afforded us great views of a pair of Red-throated Wryneck, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Black-crowned Tchagra, a quick and flighty Green-capped Eremomela and a stunning Klaass’s Cuckoo. We then headed across the Mara North Bridge and passed over some short grass plains, with great views of Temminck’s Courser and Red-capped Lark, plus Silverbird in the nearby , before passing through Musiara Gate and taking an hour in the Musiara Marsh area. Here we found a Water Thick-knee, Rufous-bellied Heron, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Meyer’s Parrot and a huge Martial Eagle, among others. On the plains, we encountered 100s more African Quailfinch plus two lazy-looking Hooded Vultures, but the grass was so long that expectations of finding a bustard were very low – and we saw none. Around Talek, we found a male Straw-tailed Whydah, Red-fronted Barbet and a pair of Kittlitz’s Plover that behaved as though they were nesting nearby. Once again, the grass was so long on the plains that we really struggled to find sandgrouse, larks and pipits, but did disturb a few Harlequin Quail, and opposite Ol Kiombo airstrip we found a young pride of 8 Lion that showed well for us.

Rufous-bellied Heron, Masai Mara

We acceptd a kind invitation to relax with the hippos at Naibor from the new managers there and were fortunate to see two Common around the office area – the only ones of the trip – so thanks to Ken and Michelle for that! Later we made our way over the plains where another dozen Harlequin Quail were flushed and a few Common Buttonquail too. Nearing Keekorok Lodge, we finally managed to see a pair of White-bellied Bustard which proved to be very relaxed about being on show and, after dark, we had good views of Verreaux’s Eagle Owl and Freckled Nightjar in the Keekorok grounds.

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013

Grey-capped Warbler, Masai Mara

24th May An early morning walk around the Keekorok grounds provided with ace views of Violet-backed Starling, Grey-capped Warbler, African Pygmy, Striped and Woodland Kingfishers, Bare-faced Go- away-bird, Marico Sunbird, Buff-bellied Warbler, Hildebrandt’s Starling and a Black-headed Gonolek. After breakfast, we headed out of the park, stopping a few kilometres out of Sekenani Gate to admire another male Straw-tailed Whydah, a flock of Cardinal and a small gathering of Cut- throat Finch. Further out on the every short grass plains, we a turn off the main road to look for and we quickly found a few Temminck’s but not the ones we were looking for. Soon, we stumbled across a party of four Yellow-throated Sandgrouse – a very welcome addition to our list – and within a minute we found our quarry - Double-banded Coursers! At first, there appeared to be a few but as soon as they start to walk away, more appeared until we clocked about a dozen of them. With that target in the bag, and a few Silverbird on show as well, we headed off to Narok for lunch that included some very fine beef samosas!

Yellow-throated Sandgrouse, Masai Mara

Our next stop was the Manguo Pond at Limuru where we found a number of new species within minutes; White-backed Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck and our target – Maccoa Duck. It was a single female but with three guests that admire their “Stifftails”, it was good enough! A Purple Swamphen took some finding in the long wet grass but it was seen by all. Great to see the pond looking so high

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 still and there were several pairs of Whiskered Tern feeding young there, in addition to good numbers of the usual species there.

25th May With traffic light as expected on a Saturday morning, we made good time to the gate of Tsavo West, stopping at Hunter’s Lodge on the way where we found a fine Shikra, African Golden Weaver, Bearded Woodpecker and White-headed Barbet. Passing through the Mtito Andei Gate, where we got amazing views of two Black-headed Plover, we headed straight to Serena Kilaguni Safari Lodge, stopping on the way for Nancy’s target species – Abyssinian Scimitarbill – plus Black-faced Sandgrouse and African Pygmy Falcon. After check-in and lunch, we made time to enjoy the grounds that were full of birds including Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Grey and Red-billed Hornbills and an array of starlings.

Black-headed Plover, Tsavo West

Friedman’s Lark, Tsavo West

Our afternoon drive started well with three Orange-bellied Parrot meeting us at the first junction and a Tawny Eagle soared overhead. We then made our way towards Mzima Springs, stopping along the way for great views of displaying Friedmann’s Lark, Ashy Cisticola, Fischer’s Starling, Red-winged Lark, a stunning and Tsavo (Rosy-patched) Bushshrike. The birding was so good that we arrived at the springs fairly late and it was fairly quiet but we did see African Darter well here. After dinner at the hotel, we observed several Slender-tailed Nightjar hawking over the

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 waterhole, no doubt attracted by the myriad of bugs disturbed by the game coming in to drink. It was a good start to our 1-week extension and we were eager to see what the second day would bring.

26th May Crested Francolin was our first prize of the day and although this is a fairly common and widespread bird we simply hadn’t connected with it previously. Next up, a male Somali Ostrich crossed the road ahead of us and most of us saw another two Abyssinian Scimitarbills. We drove around the various tracks of the park but there was not so much singing as the previous evening, perhaps on account of the overcast weather. Nice birds that kept us perky included good views of Green-winged Pytilia and Blue-capped Cordon-bleu then a female Buff-crested Bustard crossed ahead of us but failed to stick around. Upon reaching some good “lark” habitat we listened out and located Red-winged and Singing Bush Lark. Later we disturbed a male Lesser Kudu, had better views of a male Buff-crested Bustard and a huge colony of weavers that included vast numbers of Chestnut Weaver and Red- billed Quelea, plus a very smart Oryx that sauntered by. On the way back to the lodge, we found a party of four African Pygmy Falcons that posed well for images.

Our afternoon game drive started once again with good views of Orange-bellied Parrot but the highlight of the day was definitely the Leopard that graced us with stunning views for over 20 minutes at very close range. The group of female Lesser Kudu we watched nearby had good reason to appear anxious.

Somali Courser, Tsavo East

27th May After breakfast we left Tsavo West and headed towards Tsavo East before tracking south towards the Taita Hills. This was a poignant journey as the lack of any wild habitat was very noticeable, even towards the summit of the “protected area”. After collecting our local guide, we began our walk through the remaining small patch of forest but it was so quiet. Even the most abundant of the endemics, the Taita White-eye, was a single seen only once and other birds were few but included some Stripe-faced Greenbuls moving noisily through the trees but failed to show. We then accessed the forest via another track and quickly found Taita Thrush but it was so well hidden that it was not seen by all. After another quiet trek, we stopped for lunch and tried again afterwards. The Taita Thrush was relocated but again it was very difficult to observe and although Taita Apalis was then heard but remained hidden from view.

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013

Taita Thrush, Taita Hills

So we headed back down the hillside to Tsavo East, passing through Voi Gate quite late and with a solid cloudy sky it felt later than it actually was. We did have time to watch 100s of Elephants going about their business, find a relaxed Brown Snake Eagle perched high and catch a glimpse of a Buff- crested Bustard displaying in free-fall but the highlight was a pair of Golden-breasted Starling seen well for about 10 minutes.

Black-backed Jackal, Tsavo East

28th May We did a pre-breakfast walk around the gardens of Ashnil Aruba and connected quickly with the Pearl-spotted Owlet heard briefly the previous night. By the pool area, we watched nine Kori Bustard feeding in the distance, all in distinct groups of three, and two Collared called noisily as they flew by overhead. After breakfast, we took a drive north and hit a really rich patch of birding with numerous highlights including Somali Bee-eater, Somali and Temminck’s Coursers and Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark. On another track, we encountered a pair of Red-and-yellow Barbet, many Pink-breasted Lark and Taita Fiscals, African Hoopoe, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, African Pygmy Falcon and more spectacular Golden-breasted Starlings before taking lunch at Bachuma Gate where we watched a family of Dwarf Mongoose come trotting by with pups in mouth. After lunch, we took a fairly uneventful drive to Malindi where we would spend our final three nights.

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013

Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark in Tsavo

29th May We made our way straight to the Arabuko-Sokoke forest station where we met up with Willy, our local guide. Within minutes we were enjoying African Golden Oriole and Green Barbet and soon after we heard a Red-capped Robin-chat that was eventually seen well. A Golden-rumped Elephant- Shrew dashed across our path and this seemed to be a good omen as we began collecting a good number of species of the coastal forest biome including Yellow-bellied Greenbul, the “Coastal” Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird and Black-bellied Starling. A group of Retz’s Red-billed Helmet-shrike were encouraged in and showed well albeit rather briefly and a Fischer’s Turaco was heard but it was always heading away from us and we never managed a view. A tame White-headed Dwarf was seen back at the forest station before we headed off to a new area.

At our first stop, we quickly got great views of a male East Coast Akalat singing next to us and we also saw Eastern Nicator, Eastern and Short-tailed Batis here. Nearby, a Lowland Tiny Greenbul was feeding young and we also got good views of both Mombassa Woodpecker and Narina Trogon here. Other goodies nearby included both Amani and Plain-backed Sunbirds, Ashy Flycatcher, Pale Batis, and Red-tailed Ant-Thrush. After lunch we tried very hard for Sokoke Pipit and although they were calling nearby we just couldn’t get good views. However, in our quest to find the bird we did stumble across a nest that contained two eggs so we moved on and hoped the bird would return to incubate. Later we tried in vain to find a roosting Sokoke Scops Owl but none of their usual sites were occupied. We’d have to try again tomorrow.

30th May Making the most of a fine morning, we tried the main swamp area where we had little trouble locating and a fly-by Knob-billed Duck but getting good views of a pair of Malindi Pipit took a little longer. We eventually found them and also a Woolley-necked Stork and several pairs of noisy which is now split from by most authorities.

We tried another few sites for Fischer’s Turaco but had no luck at all but did stumble across some Scaly Babblers and got good views of a Scaly-throated Honeyguide. Heading back into the forest, we tried again for the Sokoke Pipit but got distracted by some Four-coloured (Gorgeous) calling nearby. Some poor views were had and despite some solid attempts to see them they did what they do best – disappear in to the thickets. Fortunately, the pipits were heard nearby and after a little while we all got good views. Later in the day, we tried for the Scops Owl but Willy was baffled that he could not find them. He made a pledge that he would visit the site early in the morning and follow it to roost and was confident that we would see it before departing the next day. So we

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 headed back to base and tried our luck with a seawatch instead. There was a huge flock of terns a very long way out and only the dark-backed Swift Terns could be positively identified, and a few Sooty Gull passed just offshore that proved a lot easier to ID.

31st May On our final morning, we paid a visit to Mida Creek to catch the rising tide and the moving waders. This was brilliant and we added over a dozen new species to our list in little over 30 minutes including Crab Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Dimorphic Egret and Lesser Crested Tern, and four male Amethyst Sunbird displayed nearby. We then went to Willy’s site for the Scops Owl and this time we were very lucky to find a rufous morph bird roosting deep in the thicket. Elated with the find, we made our way slowly down the track when suddenly three African Cuckoo Hawk appeared next to the road and soared next to us. With Mike catching an earlier connecting flight to the rest of us, we said our farewells at Malindi Airstrip.

Sokoke Scops Owl, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest

The remaining party then made a brief trip to Sabaki River Mouth where we found two pairs of Malindi Pipit and a few Sooty Gull but the best birds were several displaying Red Bishops, Golden Palm Weavers and lots of Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul flying around. After that, we took lunch at our villas before flying back to Nairobi and the journey home.

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 BIRD CHECKLIST

# English name Scientific name 1 Maasai Ostrich Struthio camelus 2 Somali Ostrich Struthio (camelus) molybdophanes 3 White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata 4 Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor 5 White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus 6 Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos 7 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca 8 Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis 9 African Black Duck Anas sparsa 10 Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata 11 Red-billed Duck Anas erythrorhyncha 12 Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota 13 Cape Teal Anas capensis 14 Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa 15 Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris 16 Coqui Francolin Peliperdix coqui 17 Crested Francolin Francolinus sephaena 18 Scaly Francolin Pternistis squamatus 19 Hildebrandt's Francolin Pternistis hildebrandti 20 Yellow-necked Spurfowl Pternistis leucoscepus 21 Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer 22 Jackson's Francolin Pternistis jacksoni 23 Harlequin Quail Coturnix delegorguei 24 Common Button-quail Turnix sylvaticus 25 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 26 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 27 Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor 28 African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus 29 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus 30 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 31 Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis 32 Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus 33 Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis 34 Great Cormorant (inc. white-breasted forms) Phalacrocorax carbo 35 Long-tailed (Reed) Cormorant Microcarbo africanus 36 African Darter Anhinga rufa 37 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 38 Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens 39 Hamerkop Scopus umbretta 40 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 41 Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala 42 Goliath Heron Ardea goliath 43 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea 44 Great Egret Ardea alba 45 Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia 46 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 47 Dimorphic Egret Egretta dimorpha 48 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 49 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 50 Rufous-bellied Heron Ardeola rufiventris 51 Striated Heron Butorides striata 52 Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax 53 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 54 Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus 55 Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash 56 African Spoonbill Platalea alba 57 African Cuckoo-Hawk Aviceda cuculoides 58 Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus 59 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus 60 Yellow-billed Kite Milvus (migrans) parasiticus 61 African Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer 62 Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus 63 White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus 64 Rüppell's Vulture Gyps rueppellii 65 Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus 66 Black-chested Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis 67 Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus 68 Western Banded Snake Eagle Circaetus cinerascens 69 Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus 70 African Harrier Hawk (Gymnogene) Polyboroides typus 71 Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus 72 Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates 73 Eastern Chanting Goshawk Melierax poliopterus 74 Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar 75 Shikra Accipiter badius 76 Black (Great) Goshawk Accipiter melanoleucus 77 oreophilus 78 Augur Buzzard Buteo augur 79 Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax 80 Verreaux's (Black) Eagle Aquila verreauxii 81 African Hawk Eagle Aquila spilogaster 82 Ayres's Hawk Eagle Aquila ayresii 83 Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus 84 Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis 85 Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus 86 Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius 87 African Pygmy Falcon Polihierax semitorquatus 88 Eurasian (Common) Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 89 Grey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus 90 Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus 91 African Water Rail Rallus caerulescens 92 Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra 93 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio 94 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 95 Lesser Moorhen Gallinula angulata 96 Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 97 Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori 98 White-bellied Bustard Eupodotis senegalensis 99 Buff-crested Bustard Eupodotis gindiana 100 Black-bellied Bustard Lissotis melanogaster 101 Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum 102 Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus 103 Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus 104 Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis 105 Black-headed Lapwing Vanellus tectus 106 Long-toed Plover Vanellus crassirostris 107 Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus 108 Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus 109 Senegal Plover Vanellus lugubris 110 Black-winged Plover Vanellus melanopterus 111 Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus 112 African Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus 113 Grey (Black-bellied) Plover Pluvialis squatarola 114 Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus 115 Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 116 Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius 117 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 118 Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris 119 White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus 120 Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus 121 Crab Plover Dromas ardeola 122 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 123 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 124 African Jacana Actophilornis africanus 125 Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus 126 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 127 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 128 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 129 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 130 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata 131 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 132 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 133 Sanderling Calidris alba 134 Little Stint Calidris minuta 135 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 136 Ruff Philomachus pugnax 137 Somali Courser somalensis 138 Temminck's Courser Cursorius temminckii 139 Double-banded Courser Smutsornis africanus 140 Heuglin's (Three-banded) Courser Rhinoptilus cinctus 141 Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola 142 Grey-headed Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus 143 Sooty Gull Ichthyaetus hemprichii Larus fuscus (inc. heuglini and 144 Lesser Black-backed Gull (including Heuglin's) taimyrensis ssp.) 145 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 146 White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus 147 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 148 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisea 149 Swift (or Greater Crested) Tern Thalasseus bergii 150 Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis 151 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus 152 Yellow-throated Sandgrouse Pterocles gutturalis 153 Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus 154 Rock Pigeon (feral) Columba livia 155 Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea 156 Olive Pigeon Columba arquatrix 157 Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba delegorguei 158 Dusky Turtle-Dove Streptopelia lugens 159 African Mourning Dove Streptopelia decipiens 160 Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata 161 Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola 162 Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 163 Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur chalcospilos 164 Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria 165 Namaqua Dove Oena capensis 166 African Green-Pigeon Treron calvus 167 Fischer's Lovebird (feral ) Agapornis fischeri 168 Red-fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi 169 Meyer's (or Brown) Parrot Poicephalus meyeri 170 African Orange-bellied Parrot Poicephalus rufiventris 171 Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata 172 Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi 173 Bare-faced Go-away-bird Corythaixoides personatus 174 White-bellied Go-away-bird Corythaixoides leucogaster 175 Eastern Plantain-eater Crinifer zonurus 176 Jacobin Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus 177 Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius 178 Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius 179 Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas 180 Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius 181 White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus 182 Sokoke Scops Owl Otus ireneae 183 African Scops Owl Otus senegalensis 184 Mackinder's Eagle Owl Bubo capensis [mackinderi] 185 Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus 186 Greyish Eagle Owl Bubo cinerascens 187 Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus 188 Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum 189 Red-chested Owlet Glaucidium tephronotum 190 Freckled Nightjar tristigma 191 Slender-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus clarus 192 Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus 193 Mottled Swift Apus aequatorialis 194 Nyanza Swift Apus niansae 195 Little Swift Apus affinis

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 196 Horus Swift Apus horus 197 White-rumped Swift Apus caffer 198 African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus 199 Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus 200 Blue-naped Mousebird Urocolius macrourus 201 Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina 202 Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum 203 Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus 204 African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta 205 Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala 206 Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis 207 Mangrove Kingfisher Halcyon senegaloides 208 Brown-hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris 209 Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti 210 Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maximus 211 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis 212 Blue-headed Bee-eater Merops muelleri 213 White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides 214 Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus 215 Blue-breasted Bee-eater Merops variegatus 216 Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates 217 Somali Bee-eater Merops revoilii 218 White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis 219 Madagascar (or Olive) Bee-eater Merops superciliosus 220 Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus 221 Rufous-crowned Roller Coracias naevius 222 Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus 223 African Hoopoe Upupa (epops) africana 224 Green Wood-hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus 225 Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas 226 Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor 227 Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus 228 Jackson's Hornbill Tockus jacksoni 229 Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni 230 Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus 231 African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus 232 Trumpeter Hornbill Ceratogymna bucinator 233 Silvery-cheeked Hornbill Ceratogymna brevis 234 Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna subcylindrica 235 Yellow-billed Barbet purpuratus 236 Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus 237 D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii 238 Trachyphonus (darnaudii) usambiro 239 Grey-throated Barbet Gymnobucco bonapartei 240 Green Barbet olivacea 241 Eastern Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus simplex 242 Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus 243 Coastal Tinkerbird Pogoniulus (bilineatus) fischeri 244 Red-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus 245 Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 246 Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta 247 Red-fronted Barbet Tricholaema diademata 248 Spot-flanked Barbet Tricholaema lacrymosa 249 Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala 250 White-headed Barbet Lybius leucocephalus 251 Double-toothed Barbet Lybius bidentatus 252 Thick-billed Honeyguide Indicator (exilis) conirostris 253 Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor 254 Scaly-throated Honeyguide Indicator variegatus 255 Red-throated Wryneck Jynx ruficollis 256 Nubian Woodpecker Campethera nubica 257 Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica 258 Buff-spotted Woodpecker Campethera nivosa 259 Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens 260 Bearded Woodpecker Dendropicos namaquus 261 Yellow-crested Woodpecker Dendropicos xantholophus 262 Grey Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae 263 Grey-headed Woodpecker Dendropicos spodocephalus 264 African Broadbill Smithornis capensis 265 African Shrike Flycatcher Megabyas flammulatus 266 Brown-throated (or Common) Wattle-eye Platysteira cyanea 267 Chestnut Wattle-eye Platysteira castanea 268 Short-tailed (or Sokoke) Batis Batis ultima 269 Chin-spot Batis Batis molitor 270 Pale Batis Batis soror 271 Pygmy Batis Batis perkeo 272 Retz's (Red-billed) Helmet-shrike Prionops retzii 273 Brubru Nilaus afer 274 Northern Puffback Dryoscopus gambensis 275 Black-backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla 276 Pink-footed Puffback Dryoscopus angolensis 277 Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus 278 Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis 279 Lühder's Bushshrike luehderi 280 Laniarius aethiopicus 281 Laniarius sublacteus 282 Black-headed Gonolek Laniarius erythrogaster 283 Slate-colored Boubou Laniarius funebris 284 Rosy-patched Bushshrike Rhodophoneus cruentus 285 Tsavo Bushshrike Rhodophoneus cathemagmenus 286 Bocage's (or Grey-green) Bushshrike Telophorus bocagei 287 Petit's Cuckoo-shrike Campephaga petiti 288 -shrike Campephaga flava 289 Lesser Grey Shrike minor 290 Grey-backed Fiscal Lanius excubitoroides 291 Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi 292 Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis 293 Common Fiscal Lanius collaris 294 Mackinnon's (Fiscal) Shrike Lanius mackinnoni 295 Northern White-crowned (or White-rumped) Shrike rueppelli

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 296 African Golden Oriole Oriolus auratus 297 Western Black-headed Oriole Oriolus brachyrhynchus 298 African Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus 299 Montane Oriole Oriolus percivali 300 Square-tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii 301 Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis 302 Little Yellow Flycatcher Erythrocercus holochlorus 303 African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis 304 African Blue Flycatcher longicauda 305 House Crow Corvus splendens 306 Cape Rook Corvus capensis 307 Pied Crow Corvus albus 308 Fan-tailed Raven Corvus rhipidurus 309 Singing Bush Lark cantillans 310 White-tailed Lark Mirafra albicauda 311 Friedmann's Lark Mirafra pulpa 312 Red-winged Lark Mirafra hypermetra 313 Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana 314 Pink-breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna 315 Foxy (Fawn-colored) Lark Calendulauda (africanoides) alopex 316 Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix signatus 317 Fischer's Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix leucopareia 318 Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea 319 Athi Short-toed Lark Calandrella athensis 320 Short-tailed Lark Pseudalaemon fremantlii 321 Plain Martin Riparia paludicola 322 Sand Martin (Bank Swallow) Riparia riparia 323 Banded Martin Riparia cincta 324 Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne fuligula 325 Angola Swallow Hirundo angolensis 326 Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii 327 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica 328 Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica 329 Rufous-chested Swallow Cecropis semirufa 330 Mosque Swallow Cecropis senegalensis 331 White-headed Saw-wing Psalidoprocne albiceps 332 Black Saw-wing Psalidoprocne pristoptera 333 White-bellied Tit albiventris 334 Dusky Tit Melaniparus funereus 335 Northern Grey (Acacia) Tit Melaniparus thruppi 336 Mouse-colored Penduline-Tit Anthoscopus musculus 337 Common Bulbul barbatus 338 Dodson's Bulbul Pycnonotus dodsoni 339 Andropadus kakamegae 340 Andropadus virens 341 Little Grey Greenbul Andropadus gracilis 342 Ansorge's Greenbul Andropadus ansorgei 343 Cameroon Sombre Greenbul Andropadus curvirostris 344 Slender-billed Greenbul Andropadus gracilirostris 345 Zanzibar Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 346 Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris 347 Eastern Andropadus nigriceps 348 Baeopogon indicator 349 Yellow-throated Greenbul (Leaflove) flavicollis 350 Yellow-bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris 351 Chlorocichla laetissima 352 Cabanis's Greenbul Phyllastrephus cabanisi 353 (Lowland) Tiny Greenbul Phyllastrephus debilis 354 Eastern Nicator Nicator gularis 355 Brown Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens 356 Dark-capped Yellow Warbler Chloropeta natalensis 357 Mountain Yellow Warbler Chloropeta similis 358 Greater Swamp Warbler Acrocephalus rufescens 359 Little Rush Warbler baboecala 360 Evergreen Forest Warbler Bradypterus lopezi 361 Cinnamon Bracken Warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus 362 Moustached Grass Warbler Melocichla mentalis 363 Black-faced Rufous-Warbler Bathmocercus rufus 364 Black-collared Apalis Apalis pulchra 365 Black-throated Apalis Apalis jacksoni 366 Yellow-breasted Apalis (inc. Brown-tailed form) Apalis flavida 367 Buff-throated Apalis Apalis rufogularis 368 Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema 369 Grey Apalis Apalis cinerea 370 Red-fronted Warbler Urorhipis rufifrons 371 Gray-backed Camaroptera Camaropter brevicaudata 372 Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota 373 Pale Wren-Warbler Calamonastes undosus 374 Grey Wren-Warbler Calamonastes simplex 375 White-chinned Prinia Schistolais leucopogon 376 Singing Cisticola Cisticola cantans 377 Chubb's Cisticola Cisticola chubbi 378 Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri 379 Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana 380 Ashy Cisticola Cisticola cinereolus 381 Winding Cisticola (inc. Coastal form) Cisticola galactotes 382 Carruthers's Cisticola Cisticola carruthersi 383 Stout Cisticola Cisticola robustus 384 Croaking Cisticola Cisticola natalensis 385 Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola aberdare 386 Siffling (Short-winged) Cisticola Cisticola brachypterus 387 Tiny Cisticola Cisticola nana 388 Zitting (Fan-tailed) Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 389 Cisticola Cisticola aridulus 390 Pectoral-patch Cisticola Cisticola brunnescens 391 Grey-capped Warbler Eminia lepida 392 Buff-bellied Warbler Phyllolais pulchella 393 Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava 394 Banded (Black-faced) Prinia Prinia bairdii 395 Yellow-bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 396 Turner's Eremomela Eremomela turneri 397 White-browed Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys 398 Northern Crombec Sylvietta brachyura 399 Red-faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii 400 Hylia prasina 401 Silverbird Empidornis semipartitus 402 Pale Flycatcher Bradornis pallidus 403 African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus 404 White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher fischeri 405 Northern Black-Flycatcher Melaenornis edolioides 406 Southern Black-Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina 407 Swamp Flycatcher Muscicapa aquatica 408 African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta 409 Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens 410 Lead-coloured Flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus 411 East Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi 412 Grey-winged Robin-Chat Sheppardia polioptera 413 Cape Robin-Chat Cossypha caffra 414 Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa 415 White-browed Robin-Chat Cossypha heuglini 416 Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis 417 Snowy-headed Robin-Chat Cossypha niveicapilla 418 Spotted Morning Thrush Cichladusa guttata White-browed Scrub Robin 419 (inc. White-winged forms) Cercotrichas leucophrys 420 Schalow's Wheatear Oenanthe lugens [schalowi] 421 Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata 422 African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus 423 Brown-tailed Rock Chat Cercomela scotocerca 424 Moorland (Alpine) Chat Cercomela sordida 425 Northern Anteater Chat aethiops 426 Sooty Chat Myrmecocichla nigra 427 Mocking Cliff-Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris 428 Red-tailed Ant-Thrush Neocossyphus rufus 429 Little Rock-Thrush Monticola rufocinereus 430 Abyssinian Ground-Thrush Zoothera piaggiae 431 Turdus olivaceus 432 Taita Thrush Turdus (olivaceus) helleri 433 African Thrush Turdus pelios 434 African Bare-eyed Thrush Turdus tephronotus 435 Brown-chested Alethe Alethe poliocephala 436 Mountain Illadopsis Illadopsis pyrrhoptera 437 Rufous Chatterer Turdoides rubiginosa 438 Black-lored Babbler Turdoides sharpei 439 Scaly Babbler Turdoides squamulata 440 Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca 441 Hinde's Babbler Turdoides hindei 442 African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis 443 Montane White-eye Zosterops poliogastrus 444 Taita White-eye Zosterops (poliogastrus) silvanus

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 445 Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea 446 Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus 447 Rüppell's (Long-tailed) Starling Lamprotornis purpuroptera 448 Golden-breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius 449 Black-bellied Starling Lamprotornis corruscus 450 Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus 451 Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti 452 Fischer's Starling Lamprotornis fischeri 453 Violet-backed Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster 454 Abbott's Starling Cinnyricinclus femoralis 455 Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio 456 Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri 457 Bristle-crowned Starling Onychognathus salvadorii 458 Stuhlmann's Starling Poeoptera stuhlmanni 459 Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus 460 Yellow-billed Oxpecker Buphagus africanus 461 Plain-backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi 462 Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis 463 Green Sunbird Anthreptes rectirostris 464 Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris 465 Amani Sunbird Hedydipna pallidigaster 466 Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis 467 Eastern Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea 468 Western Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra obscura 469 Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina 470 Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis 471 Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri 472 Tacazze Sunbird Nectarinia tacazze 473 Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis 474 Scarlet-tufted Sunbird Nectarinia johnstoni 475 Golden-winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi 476 Northern Double-collared Sunbird reichenowi 477 Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris 478 Beautiful Sunbird Cinnyris pulchellus 479 Marico Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis 480 Red-chested Sunbird Cinnyris erythrocercus 481 Purple-banded Sunbird Cinnyris bifasciatus 482 Violet-breasted Sunbird Cinnyris chalcomelas 483 Variable Sunbird Cinnyris venustus 484 House Sparrow Passer domesticus 485 Kenya Rufous Sparrow Passer rufocinctus 486 Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus 487 Parrot-billed Sparrow Passer gongonensis 488 Swahili Sparrow Passer suahelicus 489 Chestnut Sparrow Passer eminibey 490 Yellow-spotted Petronia Petronia pyrgita 491 White-billed Buffalo-Weaver albirostris 492 Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis 493 White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli 494 Speckle-fronted Weaver frontalis

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 495 White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali 496 Grey-capped Social-Weaver arnaudi 497 Baglafecht Weaver baglafecht 498 Ploceus luteolus 499 Slender-billed Weaver Ploceus pelzelni 500 Black-necked Weaver Ploceus nigricollis 501 Ploceus ocularis 502 Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster 503 African Golden Weaver Ploceus subaureus 504 Holub's Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops 505 Golden Palm Weaver Ploceus bojeri 506 Northern Masked Weaver Ploceus taeniopterus 507 Ploceus intermedius 508 Ploceus vitellinus 509 Speke's Weaver Ploceus spekei 510 Ploceus cucullatus 511 Yellow-backed Weaver Ploceus melanocephalus 512 Jackson's Golden-backed Weaver Ploceus jacksoni 513 Chestnut Weaver Ploceus rubiginosus 514 Forest (Dark-backed) Weaver Ploceus bicolor 515 Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis 516 Vieillot's Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus 517 Red-headed Malimbe rubricollis 518 Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps 519 Quelea cardinalis 520 Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea 521 orix 522 Zanzibar Red Bishop Euplectes nigroventris 523 Yellow-crowned Bishop Euplectes afer 524 Euplectes capensis 525 White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus 526 Yellow-mantled Widowbird Euplectes macroura 527 Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens 528 Fan-tailed Widowbird Euplectes axillaris 529 Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne 530 Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni 531 Grosbeak (Thick-billed) Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons 532 Grey-headed Negrofinch Nigrita canicapillus 533 Yellow-bellied Waxbill Coccopygia quartinia 534 Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii 535 Crimson-rumped Waxbill Estrilda rhodopyga 536 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild 537 Kandt's (Black-headed) Waxbill Estrilda (atricapilla) kandti 538 Black-cheeked Waxbill Estrilda charmosyna 539 Red-headed Bluebill Spermophaga ruficapilla 540 Red-cheeked Cordonbleu Uraeginthus bengalus 541 Blue-capped Cordonbleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus 542 Purple Grenadier Granatina ianthinogaster 543 Green-winged Pytilia (Melba Finch) Pytilia melba 544 Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 545 Cut-throat Amadina fasciata 546 Zebra (Orange-breasted) Waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus 547 African Quailfinch Ortygospiza fuscocrissa 548 Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullatus Black-and-white Mannikin 549 (inc. Rufous-backed form) Spermestes bicolor 550 Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura 551 Eastern Paradise Whydah Vidua paradisaea 552 Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri 553 Village Indigobird Vidua chalybeata 554 Parasitic Weaver (Cuckoo Finch) Anomalospiza imberbis 555 Motacilla capensis 556 Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara 557 African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp 558 Tmetothylacus tenellus 559 Sharpe's Longclaw sharpei 560 Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus 561 Pangani Longclaw Macronyx aurantiigula 562 Rosy-throated Longclaw Macronyx ameliae 563 Grassland (African) Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus 564 Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis 565 Plain-backed Pipit Anthus leucophrys 566 Buffy Pipit Anthus vaalensis 567 Malindi Pipit Anthus melindae 568 Sokoke Pipit Anthus sokokensis 569 Yellow-crowned (Cape) Canary (canicollis) flavivertex 570 Yellow-fronted Canary Serinus mozambicus 571 African Citril Serinus citrinelioides 572 Western Citril Serinus frontalis 573 Papyrus Canary Serinus koliensis 574 Reichenow's (Yellow-rumped) Seedeater Serinus reichenowi 575 White-bellied Canary Serinus dorsostriatus 576 Brimstone Canary Serinus sulphuratus 577 Streaky Seedeater Serinus striolatus 578 Thick-billed Seedeater Serinus burtoni 579 Oriole Finch Linurgus olivaceus 580 Cinnamon-breasted Bunting Emberiza tahapisi 581 Somali (Golden-breasted) Bunting Emberiza poliopleura 582 Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris

ADDITIONAL SPECIES THAT WERE “HEARD ONLY”

H# ENGLISH NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME 1 Common Quail Coturnix coturnix 2 Olive (African Green) Ibis Bostrychia olivacea 3 White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra 4 Ross's Turaco Musophaga rossae 5 Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri 6 Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus 7 African Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 8 Blue-headed Coucal Centropus monachus 9 Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui 10 Four-coloured (Gorgeous) Bushshrike Telophorus viridis 11 Taita Apalis Apalis fuscigularis 12 Black-headed Apalis Apalis melanocephala 13 Banded Parisoma Parisoma boehmi 14 Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher Trochocercus cyanomelas 15 Stripe-cheeked Greenbul Andropadus milanjensis 16 Phyllastrephus terrestris 17 Red-tailed Bristlebill Bleda syndactylus 18 Lesser Swamp (Cape Reed) Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris 19 Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus budongoensis 20 Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat Cossypha cyanocampter 21 Brown Illadopsis Illadopsis fulvescens

ENGLISH NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME 1 Yellow-winged Bat Lavia frons 2 Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus 3 Red-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus ascanius 4 Blue Monkey Cercopithecus mitis 5 Syke’s Monkey (White-throated form) Cercopithecus albogularis kolbi 6 Syke’s Monkey (Coastal form) Cercopithecus albogularis albogularis 7 Olive Baboon Papio anubis 8 Yellow Baboon Papio cynocephalus 9 Guereza (Black and White) Colobus Colobus guereza 10 Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas 11 Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina 12 Marsh Mongoose Atilax paludinosus 13 Slender Mongoose Herpestes sanguineus 14 Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula 15 Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo 16 Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta 17 Serval Leptailurus serval 18 Lion Panthera leo 19 Leopard Panthera pardus 20 African Elephant (Forest and forms) Loxodonta africana 21 Mount Kenya (Eastern Tree) Dendrohyrax validus 22 Southern Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax arboreus 23 Bush (Yellow-spotted Rock) Hyrax Heterohyrax brucei 24 Plains Zebra Equus burchelli 25 White Rhino Ceratotherium simum 26 Black Rhino Diceros bicornis 27 Common Warthog Phacocherus africanus 28 Giant Forest Hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni 29 Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibious 30 Maasai Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi 31 Rothschild’s Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis rothchilidi 32 Coke’s Hartebeest (Kongoni) Alcelaphus buselaphus cokii 33 Jackson’s (Lelwel) Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus jacksoni

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013 34 Western White-bearded Gnu (Wildebeest) Connochaetes taurinus 35 Topi Damaliscus korrigum 36 Impala Aepyceros melampus 37 Grant’s Gazelle (inc. dark northern form) Nanger granti 38 Thomson’s Gazelle Gazella thomsonii 39 Cape Buffalo Syncerus caffer 40 Common Eland Taurotragus oryx 41 Lesser Kudu Tragelaphus imberbis 42 Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus 43 Black-fronted Duiker Cephalophus nigrifrons 44 Beisa Oryx (inc. “Fringe-eared” form) Oryx beisa 45 Kirk’s Dik-dik Madoqua kirkii 46 Suni Neotragus moschatus 47 Common waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus 48 Defassa Waterbuck Kobus defassa 49 Mountain (Chanler’s) Reedbuck Redunca fulvorufula 50 Red-legged Sun Squirrel Heliosciurus rufobrachium 51 Unstriped Ground Squirrel Xerus rutilus 52 Giant Forest Squirrel Protoxerus stangeri 53 Kenyan Grass Arvicanthis nairobae 54 Common Striped Grass Rat Lemniscomys striatus 55 Golden-rumped Elephant-Shrew Rhynchocyon chrysopygus REPTILES 1 Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus 2 Varanus niloticus 3 Blue-headed Tree Agama Acanthocerus atricollis 4 Red-headed Rock Agama Agama agama 5 Tree Skink Trachylepis varia 6 Striped Skink Mabuya striata 7 Rainbow Skink Trachylepis quinquetaeniata 8 Cape Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus capensis 9 White-headed Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus picturatus 10 Tropical House Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia 11 Flap-necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis 12 Leopard Tortoise Geochelone pardalis 13 Helmeted (Marsh) Terrapin Pelomedusa subrufa 14 Forest Cobra Naja melanoleuca

Kenya: The Coolest Trip in Africa May 9-31, 2013