BIRD WATCHING SAFARIS

WHY  A BIRDING SAFARI IN KENYA? LETS TELL YOU WHY!

Kenya is  a bird watcher's paradise. Perched on the equator, Kenya offers an ideal climate for thousands of migratory birds and provides a year round home to many resident birds!  Not only does Kenya have great weather conditions, but an immense and diverse variety of habitats ranging from the open savannah to the tropical rainforest and more. It is undoubtedly, a land full of promises for any bird enthusiast.

Kenya's birding safari is highly regarded as being amongst the best in the world. As far as facts go, 11% of the world's bird species reside or migrate here… Imagine that!  More than 1000 bird species are found in this country.  This is an overwhelming number ranging from the cristicolas, weaver birds, hornbills, secretary birds to the larger pelicans, flamingos and ostriches! There is really no better way to get close to the birds than to take a birding safari.   Most safaris are designed specifically to track mammals such as the lion and giraffe, but you will always come across birds, so plentiful that they are.  However, there are safaris that specialize in bird-watching and if it's birds that you are really after, then take a specialized trip.  The organizers will be a lot more knowledgeable towards birds and where to look for them. Many people opt for a two week safari, that way they can see as much of the different habitats that Kenya offers.

The Ostrich

The world's largest bird, the ostrich can be found both in the South and North-Eastern regions of Kenya.  Kenya has all the 3 subspecies of the ostriches

Species: Struthio camelus (Common Ostrich)

Subspecies: S. North cameluscamelus (African Ostrich), S. camelusmolybdophanes (Somali Ostrich), S. camelusmassaicus (Masai Ostrich), S. camelusaustralis (South African Ostrich)

Basic ostrich facts:

1.      Ostriches are flightless birds that are built for running. They're the fastest running bird species, with a maximum running speed of more than 40 mph (64 kph), and they can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride.

2.      Ostriches can maintain a speed of 30 mph (48 kph) for long periods of time, helping them escape nearly any predator.

3.      Ostriches are also the heaviest and largest bird species, weighing as much as 400 pounds (181 kilograms) and growing up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.

4.      Female ostriches are brownish gray, while males are black with white wing and tail feathers.

5.      They have specialized feet with two toes on each foot (all other bird species have three or four toes). They also have a 4-inch (10-centimeter) claw on each foot, which they use to defend themselves.

6.      Ostriches are omnivores, chewing down on whatever is available. Their diet is mostly plants — especially leaves, seeds and roots — but they'll also eat insects and small animals like lizards.

7.      Ostriches can eat things other animals can't digest because their intestines are especially long and tough and help them absorb nutrients. They also have a gizzard, which, along with the stones and sand they swallow, helps grind up the food they eat.

8.      Ostriches are social birds, sometimes gathering in flocks of 100 or more (but usually just 10 or so). The groups have a pecking order, with a dominant male that defends the flock's territory and a dominant female called the "main hen."

9.      During courtship, the black-and-white male uses his striking colouring to attract a hen. He slowly sinks to the ground, almost like he's bowing, then begins to wave and shake his wing feathers while moving his tail up and down. Then he approaches the female, holding his wings out and stomping to impress her. If she enjoys the show, she'll mate with him.

10.  Male and female ostriches share the job of incubating eggs and caring for their chicks. Each female lays two to five eggs in a communal nest. The main hen puts her eggs in the centre of the nest so they have the best chance of hatching.

11.  The eggs hatch after about 40 days. A few days later the chicks leave the nest, which is really just a big scratch in the dirt, and travel with their parents. An adult ostrich will then take a chick under its wing — literally — to shelter it from sun, rain and predators.

12.  Ostriches usually live for 30 to 40 years, and some live for more than 50 years.

 Odd facts:

1.      An ostrich's kick is powerful enough to kill a lion.

2.      Ostriches don’t burry their heads in the sand.  If a predator threatens its nest, an ostrich will flop to the ground and remain still, laying its head against the sand to try to blend in with it. Only its body is visible, so from a distance, it looks like the ostrich has buried its head in the sand!

3.      Ostriches lay the biggest egg in the world, weighing 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) and measuring 6 inches (15 centimetres) in diameter. One ostrich egg is the equivalent of two-dozen chicken eggs.

4.      Ostriches don't have the special gland many birds have to waterproof their feathers, so ostrich feathers can get soaked in the rain.

5.      An ostrich's eye is the largest eye of any land animal — almost 2 inches (5 centimetres) across.

6.      Ostriches chase the insects and small reptiles they're planning to eat in an awkward zigzag pattern.

7.      The male ostrich warns its flock of danger by making a "boo-booo-boooo" call that sounds like a lion's roar. 

They are quite easy to spot in small numbers throughout the grasslands of National Parks such as the Samburu National Park, Tsavo National Parks and the Masai Mara Reserve.

Flamingoes

The word flamingo comes from the Spanish word “flamengo”, an earlier form of “flamenco.”  These words were derived from the Latin word “flamma,” which means 'a flame'. The habitat of these birds comprises large shallow lakes, lagoons, mangrove swamps, tidal flats, and sandy islands above the low tide mark. Adult flamingos range from 36 to 50 inches in height, with a wingspan of about 60 inches, and weigh around 8.75 lbs on an average. However, these statistics differ for different species. The bird has such a distinctive appearance, that in any given locale it is likely to be the only tall, pink bird. They have long, sinuous necks, slender legs, and black-tipped bills that achieve a downward bend upon maturity. The greater flamingo has and pink feathers and black-tipped wings. It has a very long neck, long pink legs and webbed pink feet with three toes. It has a large hooked bill with a black tip that is curved down. Males and females look alike, although the male is a little larger. The flamingo is a filter feeder and it is uniquely adapted to feed on small algae.  The flamingo has two rows of lamallae or comb-like bristles that line the inside of its bill. It also has bristles on its tongue that help it filter food out of the water. The flamingo's long neck and legs also help it to feed in deep water and its webbed feet help it stand on mud.  The flamingo is a large wading bird with shades of pink and scarlet plumage. There are many interesting facts about flamingos, including the fact that its eye is actually larger than its brain!

Flamingos often stand on one leg, the other tucked beneath the body. The reason for this behaviour is not fully understood. Recent research indicate that standing on one leg may allow the birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time wading in cold water. However, the behaviour also takes place in warm water. As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.

East Africa's lesser flamingos are nomadic and feed in a chain of alkaline soda lakes along the Rift Valley but fly to Lake Natron in Tanzania which  is the only significant nesting site.

The gathering of the flamingos on Lake Natron for breeding  is one of nature's "fantastic spectacles" in the world.

 After this basic information, let's get down to learn some interesting facts about these beautiful creatures.

Facts You Should Know About Flamingos

1.   Flamingos’  beautiful colour comes from the algae, diatoms, and small crustaceans that they eat, which are rich in the carotene pigment.

2.      Their interesting feeding technique involves stirring up the mud and water with their long legs and webbed feet. They then bury their bills, or even their entire heads upside down in the water, and suck up both mud and water. They shake their head from side to side to expel the excess mud and water, hold back and eat the plankton, tiny fish and fly larvae. When feeding, flamingos hold their breath.

3.      They are commonly witnessed preening, which takes up a considerable amount of time every day. They preen using their bills to spread oil from a gland near the base of their tail through their feathers.

4.      Contrary to their appearance, these are surprisingly fluid swimmers. Their webbed toes help them swim and stand in soft mud. However, they don't swim unless the water is too deep to waddle in.

5.      They live in groups referred to as flocks or colonies. The large numbers provide safety against predators (flamingos have a few natural predators), especially while they feed with their heads underwater. They also don't nest unless there are other flamingos around.

6.      They share equal responsibility in parenting. Both the male and female pile up mud to build a nest in which the female lays one egg. After about 30 days of incubating, which is done in turns, the egg hatches to produce a chick with gray or white plumage.

7.      Both parents regurgitate food which is fed to the baby, and both mother and father secrete a milk-like substance that provides their young with proper nourishment. This goes on till the baby's beak is fully developed and is capable of hunting for its own food.

8.      A flock of flamingos taking off is a truly magnificent sight. They gather speed by running prior to taking off and flap their wings almost constantly during flight. A flock can reach to a speed of 31 to 37 mph.

9.      In recent times, changes in flamingo migration patterns have been witnessed due to environmental changes and global warming. These birds easily travel long distances and can cover over 300 miles at a stretch in a single night.

10.  The lifespan of these birds is somewhere between 20 - 30 years in the wild, though these may live up to 50 years in captivity.

11.  A total of six species of flamingos have been identified, namely, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, James's Flamingo, Andean Flamingo, Chilean Flamingo and Caribbean Flamingo.

12.  Greater Flamingos are largest of all the species and can grow up to 5 feet tall, whereas Lesser Flamingos are the smallest attaining a height of about 3 feet.

13.  Resting on one leg is a technique which these birds have adopted to minimize the loss of body heat to cold water of shallows.

14.  In some areas, flamingo fat is considered to be a treatment option for tuberculosis.

15.  The long and slender neck of a flamingo consists a total of 19 bones.

16.  Keratin, a very tough substance, is the major structural material of the beak and feathers of these birds.

17.  These birds are often seen producing different vocalizations ranging from growling, honking and grunting.

18.  The Andean Flamingo is categorized as vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with figures showing only 30,000 of them alive in the wild.

19.  Females lay only one egg per year and do not lay another one if, by any chance, the egg suffers damage.

20.  Flamingos are defenceless creatures which do not fight back and simply fly away when they feel threatened.

21.  These have a good eyesight and colour perception, a good hearing ability, but have a poor sense of smell and taste.

22.  As observed in the Philadelphia zoo, these birds display group activities with hundreds of birds participating together. Group displays like "wing salutes", "head-flagging" and "marching" are a measure to regulate hormonal cycling for the mating season.

23.  Lesser Flamingos found in East Africa form the largest flocks of birds with greater than one million of them flocking together.

24.  The beauty of flamingos has never failed to grab human attention and that's the reason why many people wish to keep them pets. However, since these birds are better left alone in the wild, one must refer to respective state laws to learn the legalities governing their ownership. You would also be surprised to know that on one hand, the Ancient Egyptians related a flamingo to the god Ra, whereas on the other hand, Ancient Romans enjoyed the bird's tongue as a delicacy. Strange! Isn't it?

25.  If you find yourself in the proximity of any of the great lakes; Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria  Lake Baringo or Oloidien, you will be in for a treat. These lakes are all within what is known as the Great Rift Valley, the home of millions of Lesser Flamingos and Greater Flamingos.

26.  Their plumage is a pinkish white, derived from the algae Spirulina, of which they most commonly feed on. Greater flamingos, although less in number, can also be found around the great lakes.

Fun Facts

·         The beta-carotene in their diets which comes mostly from algae and shrimps gives their feathers that famous pink colour.

·         They eat by dipping their beak upside down into mud and water and then filtering out the mud and water until just the food is left.

·         Flamingos and pigeons feed their young a milk-like substance that is formed in their digestive tract.

·         Flamingos have good hearing but basically no sense of smell and - like other birds - can’t taste things very well.

·         When flying as a flock, flamingos will fly at up to 37 mph (60 km/h) and they’ve been witnessed traveling over 300 miles (500 km) a night.

·         Flamingos may group together by the thousands. In Africa, more than a million lesser flamingos (a species of flamingo – not a “lesser” animal) will group together in one place! This is the biggest flock of birds anywhere.

Hornbills

There are a number of Hornbills to be discovered:

·         Red-Billed hornbills

·         Eastern Yellow-Billed hornbills

·         Southern Ground hornbills

·         Crowned hornbills

·         African Grey hornbills

·         the Von Der Deken's Hornbills

They are truly absorbing to watch. The largest from them, the Southern Ground, wanders the floors of open habitats in search of insects and small reptiles/mammals to feed off. They are fearless in nature and dignified in manner. It is characterized by its black plumage and vivid red patches of bare skin on the face and throat.

This is just a handful of the birdlife that Kenya has to offer. You are also very likely to see Pelicans, Herons, Egrets, Storks, Spoonbills, Kites, Eagles, Vultures and even the rare Lammergeyer - the list is endless!  This safari is never a disappointment.  Join us on one of our bird watching safari to experience more.