KENYA BIRD CHECKLIST

Remote Species

AFRICA KENYA

Area (SqMi):224,962
# Species:1122
# Excl Vagrants:1067
# Endemics:10
# Near Endemics:39
Species/1000 SqMi:4.7

BIRDING LOCALES

STATUS CODES

CodeDescription##
NTNear Threatened12
VVulnerable2
ENEndangered6
CRCritically Endangered1

Species counts in code tables depend on completeness of the data. For some countries or locales, data may not include all species or information on species presence may be incomplete.

 

List of species in the country occurring in remote locales not typically visited by birding tours. Table indicates whether each species is globally threatened or endangered according to the IUCN and also whether it is migratory, very rare, or accidental in the country. See sidebar for meaning of location codes and symbols associated with common names.*

color codes

 
New World Quail: Odontophoridae

1Stone PartridgePtilopachus petrosusKE,SBNP

 
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies: Phasianidae

2Ring-necked FrancolinScleroptera streptophorus 
3Orange River FrancolinScleroptera levaillantoides 

 
Pigeons and Doves: Columbidae

4White-winged Collared-DoveStreptopelia reichenowi 
5Bruce's Green-PigeonTreron waalia 

 
Sandgrouse: Pteroclidae

6Four-banded SandgrousePterocles quadricinctus 

 
Bustards: Otididae

7Arabian BustardArdeotis arabs 

 
Turacos: Musophagidae

8Purple-crested TuracoGallirex porphyreolophus 
9Fischer's TuracoTauraco fischeri 

 
Cuckoos: Cuculidae

10/Lesser Cuckoo/Cuculus poliocephalus 

 
Nightjars and Allies: Caprimulgidae

11#Long-tailed Nightjar#Hydropsalis climacurus 

 
Swifts: Apodidae

12Mottled SpinetailTelacanthura ussheri 
13Bat-like SpinetailNeafrapus boehmi 
14/Forbes-Watson's Swift/Apus berliozi 

 
Flufftails: Sarothruridae

15Striped FlufftailSarothrura affinisMK

 
Oystercatchers: Haematopodidae

16/Eurasian Oystercatcher/Haematopus ostralegus 

 
Buttonquail: Turnicidae

17Black-rumped ButtonquailTurnix nanus 

 
Crab Plover: Dromadidae

18Crab-PloverDromas ardeola 

 
Pratincoles and Coursers: Glareolidae

19\Madagascar Pratincole\Glareola ocularis 

 
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites: Accipitridae

20Southern Banded Snake-EagleCircaetus fasciolatus 
21Beaudouin's Snake-EagleCircaetus beaudouini 

 
Owls: Strigidae

22Sokoke Scops-OwlOtus ireneae 
23Southern White-faced OwlPtilopsis granti 
24African Barred OwletGlaucidium capense 

 
Woodhoopoes and Scimitarbills: Phoeniculidae

25Black-billed WoodhoopoePhoeniculus somaliensis 
26Forest ScimitarbillRhinopomastus castaneiceps 

 
Kingfishers: Alcedinidae

27Half-collared KingfisherAlcedo semitorquata 
28Shining-blue KingfisherAlcedo quadribrachys 
29Mangrove KingfisherHalcyon senegaloides 
30Blue-breasted KingfisherHalcyon malimbica 

 
African Barbets: Lybiidae

31Green BarbetCryptolybia olivacea 
32White-eared BarbetStactolaema leucotisMK
33Green TinkerbirdPogoniulus simplex 
34Black-collared BarbetLybius torquatus 
35Brown-breasted BarbetPogonornis melanopterus 

 
Woodpeckers: Picidae

36Mombasa WoodpeckerCampethera mombassica 

 
Falcons and Caracaras: Falconidae

37#Dickinson's Kestrel#Falco dickinsoni 

 
Parrots: Psittacidae

38Brown-headed ParrotPoicephalus cryptoxanthus 

 
Old World Orioles: Oriolidae

39Green-headed OrioleOriolus chlorocephalus 

 
Wattle-eyes and Batises: Platysteiridae

40Short-tailed BatisBatis mixta 
41Pale BatisBatis soror 
42Eastern Black-headed BatisBatis minor 

 
Vangas, Helmetshrikes and Allies: Vangidae

43Retz's HelmetshrikePrionops retzii 
44Chestnut-fronted HelmetshrikePrionops scopifrons 
45Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcherBias musicus 

 
Bushshrikes: Malaconotidae

46Red-naped BushshrikeLaniarius ruficeps 
47Zanzibar BoubouLaniarius sublacteus 
48Four-colored BushshrikeTelophorus viridis 

 
Monarch Flycatchers: Monarchidae

49African Crested FlycatcherTrochocercus cyanomelas 

 
Crows, Jays, and Magpies: Corvidae

50House CrowCorvus splendens 

 
Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice: Paridae

51White-shouldered Black-TitMelaniparus guineensis 

 
Larks: Alaudidae

52<Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark>Eremopterix leucotisBS,SBNP,SBR
53Gillett's LarkCalendulauda gilletti 
54Collared LarkAmirafra collaris 
55Masked LarkSpizocorys personataSBR
56Crested LarkGalerida cristata 
57Thekla's LarkGalerida theklae 

 
African Warblers: Macrosphenidae

58Kretschmer's LongbillMacrosphenus kretschmeri 

 
Cisticolas and Allies: Cisticolidae

59Green-backed EremomelaEremomela canescensKE,KV
60Bar-throated ApalisApalis thoracica 
61Taita ApalisApalis fuscigularis 
62White-winged ApalisApalis chariessa 
63Brown-headed ApalisApalis alticola 
64Red-pate CisticolaCisticola ruficeps 
65Tana River CisticolaCisticola restrictus 
66Coastal CisticolaCisticola haematocephala 

 
Grassbirds and Allies: Locustellidae

67Little Rush WarblerBradypterus baboecala 

 
Swallows: Hirundinidae

68\Mascarene Martin\Phedina borbonica 

 
Bulbuls: Pycnonotidae

69Black-headed Mountain GreenbulArizelocichla nigriceps 
70Olive-headed GreenbulArizelocichla striifacies 
71Tiny GreenbulPhyllastrephus debilis 
72Yellow-streaked GreenbulPhyllastrephus flavostriatus 
73Terrestrial BrownbulPhyllastrephus terrestris 
74Fischer's GreenbulPhyllastrephus fischeri 

 
Leaf Warblers: Phylloscopidae

75Yellow-throated Woodland-WarblerPhylloscopus ruficapilla 

 
Bush Warblers and Allies: Cettiidae

76Yellow FlycatcherErythrocercus holochlorus 

 
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies: Zosteropidae

77Mbulu White-eyeZosterops mbuluensis 
78Taita White-eyeZosterops silvarnus 

 
Fulvetta and Ground Babblers: Pellorneidae

79Tanzanian IlladopsisIlladopsis distans 

 
Laughingthrushes and Allies: Leiothrichidae

80Scaly BabblerTurdoides squamulata 

 
Starlings: Sturnidae

81Kenrick's StarlingPoeoptera kenrickiMK
82<Shelley's Starling>Lamprotornis shelleyiSBNP
83White-crowned StarlingLamprotornis albicapillus 
84Bronze-tailed StarlingLamprotornis chalcurusKE,SS

 
Thrushes and Allies: Turdidae

85Red-tailed Ant-ThrushNeocossyphus rufus 
86\Spotted Ground-Thrush\Geokichla guttata 
87Taita ThrushTurdus helleri 

 
Old World Flycatchers: Muscicapidae

88Bearded Scrub-RobinTychaedon quadrivirgata 
89Collared Palm-ThrushCichladusa arquata 
90East Coast AkalatSheppardia gunningi 
91<Heuglin's Wheatear>Oenanthe heuglinii 

 
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters: Nectariniidae

92Plain-backed SunbirdAnthreptes reichenowi 
93Uluguru Violet-backed SunbirdAnthreptes neglectus 
94Amani SunbirdHedydipna pallidigaster 
95Mouse-colored SunbirdCyanomitra veroxii 
96Usambara Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris usambaricus 
97Tsavo SunbirdCinnyris tsavoensis 
98Violet-breasted SunbirdCinnyris chalcomelas 

 
Weavers and Allies: Ploceidae

99Red WeaverAnaplectes jubaensis 
100African Golden-WeaverPloceus subaureusBS,SBNP,SBR
101Orange WeaverPloceus aurantius 
102Taveta Golden-WeaverPloceus castaneiceps 
103Heuglin's Masked-WeaverPloceus heugliniKE,KIT
104<Rueppell's Weaver>Ploceus galbula 
105Kilifi WeaverPloceus golandi 
106Juba WeaverPloceus dichrocephalus 
107Zanzibar Red BishopEuplectes nigroventris 

 
Waxbills and Allies: Estrildidae

108Magpie MannikinSpermestes fringilloides 
109LocustfinchPaludipasser locustella 
110Black-bellied SeedcrackerPyrenestes ostrinus 
111Red-throated TwinspotHypargos niveoguttatus 

 
Indigobirds: Viduidae

112Broad-tailed Paradise-WhydahVidua obtusa 
113Dusky IndigobirdVidua funereaKV

 
Old World Sparrows: Passeridae

114Shelley's Rufous SparrowPasser shelleyi 
115Swainson's SparrowPasser swainsonii 

 
Wagtails and Pipits: Motacillidae

116Malindi PipitAnthus melindae 
117Striped PipitAnthus lineiventris 
118Sokoke PipitAnthus sokokensis 

 
Finches, Euphonias, and Allies: Fringillidae

119West African SeedeaterCrithagra canicapillaKE

 
Old World Buntings: Emberizidae

120Striolated BuntingEmberiza striolata 

 

 *Nomenclature and taxonomic affinities are based on Clements 6th Edition published 2007 with updates through 2021 maintained by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, which relies largely on the AOU and SACC nomenclature committees. IUCN status may reflect splits not currently recognized by Clements.
**Species not accepted by Clements, AOU, or SACC that we recognize based on the IOC, field observations along with geographical separation, consensus opinions of field guide authors, and other sources. These species are potential splits in future Clements updates.