BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Kenya Eastern and Main Tours Tour Leaflet 2021 © Tertius Gous © Tertius Superb Starling 21-30 April 2021 + 30 April-13 May 2021 Kenya 2021 Von der Decken's Hornbill BIRDING Tour leader: Michael Mills AFRICA Birding Africa Tour Summary Tour Africa Birding THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Summary Tour Africa Birding mega-di�ersit� • Target Kenya's endemics, near- endemics and specials • Brilliant dry-country birding • Varied habitats: arid savanna, montane grassland, highland forest, coastal forest and lowlands forest © Tasso Leventis © Tasso • Two shorter tours, back-to-back Michael's incredible focus, dedication and ability to locate and show Africa's toughest birds is probably Our Kenya Main Tour and Eastern Kenya Tour run Tour Focus unequalled on the continent. He has led dozens of back-to-back, giving you the option to bird all the Kenya off ers a mind-boggling array of birds and tours across Africa and his experience in locating top birding sites in Kenya in 23 days, or to join a habitats, including 20 endemics and near-endemics, birds on just the soft est of calls or briefest of views shorter 10-day or 14-day trip if you are time limited. making it a great destination for dedicated world impresses those who travel with him. Th ese tours have a strong emphasis on arid savanna listers and keen birders alike. Th e specials will be birding, with localised targets at Tsavo, Marsabit, the main focus of our trip, and we aim to fi nd them Dates Shaba, Samburu and Lake Baringo including all excluding the questionable Tana River Cisticola, Donaldson Smith's Sparrow-Weaver, Grant's Wood Eastern Kenya 21-30 Apr 2021 but we also expect to record well over 650 species Hoopoe, Friedmann's Lark, William's Lark, Masked along the way. Main Kenya 30 Apr-13 May 2021 Lark, Fire-fronted Bishop and Jackson's Hornbill. Highland grasslands and shrublands at Kinangop Being an arid country, bird breeding activity is and Aberdares hold Jackson's Francolin, Aberdare stimulated by rainfall, and for these purposes we Pro�isional Prices + SS Cisticola, Jackson's Widowbird and Sharpe's travel during the wettest time of the year, important Eastern $3650 + $340 (excl flight) Longclaw, and in montane forests we'll search for when trying to fi nd rare species of lark. At this time Main $4950 + $480 Olive Ibis and Abbot's Starling on Mount Kenya and of the year the overall bird diversity is slightly lower Taita Th rush, Taita White-eye and Taita Apalis in because Palaearctic migrants are absent. the Taita Hills. Two areas of lowland forest boost the Flight estimate is $160. We will travel in one or two 4x4s. More details about diversity; in the eastern coastal forests at Arabuko- what to expect, how to prepare and what to pack are Sokoke we search for Clarke's Weaver, Amani provided in our Tour Instructions. Book online Sunbird, Sokoke Pipit and Sokoke Scops Owl, and in the western lowland forests at Kakamega our Let us know if you have target species or want to Visit www.birdingafrica.com main targets include Turner's Eremomela and Blue- know more about the species we might encounter. Deposit ($150) by credit card headed Bee-eater. A short visit to Lamu Island gives A species list will be handed out to you at the start of Email [email protected] us the chance to look for the rarely-seen Somali the tour and is available beforehand upon request. © Tasso Leventis © Tasso Sokoke Scops Owl Boubou. 2 | Kenya 2021 Kenya 2021 | 3 Accommodation and meals Departure from Nairobi is possible any time from 22h00 on the night of 30 April 2021 if you are only INTRODUCTION Accommodation and meals are generally fairly joining the Eastern Kenya Tour, and on 13 May good by African standards, and vary from lodges 2021 if you are joining the Main Kenya Tour. Kenya, for a long time, has been regarded as among to search for Cape Eagle-Owl, and for an overnight and guest houses to rustic bush lodges and small the top few countries for birding in Africa. Not break at Nyahururu. The Baringo area offers a good hotels. Rooms mostly have private facilities and hot Please email [email protected] a copy of only does it list over 1000 bird species, but a good variety of birds, with highlights potentially including water. We may need to share ablution facilities on your proposed flight details for approval before network of parks protects a wide range of habitats, Northern Masked Weaver, Jackson's Hornbill and the odd occasion. paying for your ticket. from coastal forests and Central African lowland Northern White-faced Owl. For a complete change Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding forests to montane grasslands and forests, and of scenery we then visit Kakamega Forest in the far Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Meals are Western-style. Please advise if you are Kenya offers lots of easy, open country birding with west where our top targets will include Turner's vegetarian and what foods you enjoy, so that we can Group size plenty of arid savanna and deserts. Eremomela, Blue-headed Bee-eater and Jameson's cater for you. Wattle-eye, alongside a host of Central African Five to ten participants. Our 23-day Kenya tour is conveniently split in forest species. Finally we return to Nairobi with Water is not safe to drink so we supply two to allow you to sample some or all of the main time spent along the way in the Kinangop, Aberdare complimentary bottled water in the vehicle. birding sites. On our Eastern Kenya Tour we start and Gatamaiyu areas for Lynes's Cisticola, Sharpe's Walking off with a flight to Lamu Island to look for the Longclaw, Hunter's Cisticola, Jackson's Widowbird, localised Somali Boubou, Malindi Pipit and Golden This tour requires a moderate degree of fitness. Aberdare Cisticola and Jackson's Francolin. International flights Most walks will be done at a gentle pace, although Palm Weaver, before crossing to the Please plan to fly in to Nairobi by the night of 21 there will be one tougher walk on Mount Kenya to nearby mainland to visit Sokoke Forest, April 2021 if you are joining the Eastern Kenya look for Elgon Francolin, which participants and where an impressive range of forest birds Tour, or 30 April 2021 if you are joining only the easily opt out of. can be seen, including Sokoke Pipit, Main Kenya Tour. Sokoke Scops Owl, Clarke's Weaver and Amani Sunbird. Heading inland from the coast we first visit Tsavo East where Red-and-yellow Barbet we hope to find Fire-fronted Bishop, before visiting the Taita Hills for Taita Apalis, Taita Thrush and Taita White- eye. Descending back into the lowlands around Tsavo West we now look for Friedmann's Lark, Hartlaub's Bustard and Pangani Longclaw, before heading back to Nairobi to complete the Eastern Kenya Tour. Leading straight on to the Main Kenya Tour we now head off north of Nairobi to Mount Kenya, searching for Hinde's Babbler en route. On Mount Kenya we search for Abbot's Starling, Jackson's Francolin, Elgon Francolin and Scarlet- tufted Malachite Sunbird, before moving on to the open deserts north of Marsabit in the far north of the country, where we hope to find Masked Lark and, with some luck, Heuglin's Bustard. Returning south we pause in the Shaba and Samburu areas for a host of dry-country species, including William's Lark, Donaldson Smith's Sparrow-Weaver and Grant's Wood Hoopoe. We then make the long drive to Lake Baringo, pausing en route © Tertius Gous © Tertius Elgon Francolin © Callan Cohen 4 | Kenya 2021 Kenya 2021 | 5 DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY ------------------ EASTERN KENYA ------------------- Days 4-5 (24-25 Apr): Sokoke Forest © Tasso Leventis © Tasso Sokoke Forest is arguably the most important forest Day 1 (21 Apr): Arrive Nairobi for birding on the entire east coast of Africa and we Welcome to Kenya! From the airport we transfer have two full days to explore its riches. Our main Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding to our hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. targets are Clarke's Weaver, for which the entire Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Overnight on the southern side of Nairobi. world population is confined to Sokoke and some adjacent woodlands, Sokoke Pipit, Sokoke Scops Owl and Amani Sunbird. However, a long list of Day 2 (22 Apr): Nairobi to Lamu other specials can be found in the forest, including This morning we fly from Nairobi to the coastal Red-throated Twinspot, Lowland Tiny Greenbul, island of Lamu. Dry bush here is home to Somali Green Tinkerbird, fisheri form of Yellow-rumped Boubou, otherwise only known from Somalia. We Tinkerbird, Fischer's Greenbul, African Barred have an afternoon and morning to search for it in Owlet, Little Yellow Flycatcher, East Coast Akalat, coastal thickets, alongside Golden Palm Weaver, Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike, Scaly Babbler, Malindi Pipit, East Coast Boubou, Scaly Babbler Kenya Crested Guineafowl, Fischer’s Turaco, Red- and Coastal Cisticola. Overnight in the historical tailed Ant Thrush, Pallid Honeyguide, Little Spotted town of Lamu with its atmospheric white coral Woodpecker, Mombasa Woodpecker, Plain-backed buildings. Sunbird, Forest Batis and Southern Banded Snake Eagle. Open areas around the forest hold Malindi Day 3 (23 Apr): To Malindi Pipit, Zanzibar Red Bishop, Coastal Cisticola and Golden Palm Weaver, and there is an outside After some final birding on Lamu we'll take a very chance for Violet-breasted Sunbird.