KENYA SPECIALTIES LIST

Accessible Species

AFRICA KENYA

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

OTHER COUNTRIES IN AFRICA

BIRDING LOCALES

DISTRIBUTION CODES

CodeDescription##
EEndemic5
LCLocal27
NENear Endemic21
RRRestricted Range113

STATUS CODES

CodeDescription##
NTNear Threatened28
VVulnerable24
ENEndangered14
CRCritically Endangered4

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 all specialty birds in the country occurring in locales typically visited by birding tours. Specialties include endemics and globally threatened, vulnerable or endangered. 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

1Somali OstrichStruthio molybdophanes V
2White-backed DuckThalassornis leuconotusLC 
3/Ferruginous Duck/Aythya nyroca NT
4Maccoa DuckOxyura maccoa EN
5Eastern Crested GuineafowlGuttera pucheraniNE 
6Red-winged FrancolinScleroptera levaillantiiLC 
7Elgon FrancolinScleroptera elgonensisNENT
8Jackson's SpurfowlPternistis jacksoniNE 
9Red-necked SpurfowlPternistis aferRR 
10Kori BustardArdeotis kori NT
11Denham's BustardNeotis denhami NT
12Great Blue TuracoCorythaeola cristataRR 
13Black-billed TuracoTauraco schuettiiRR 
14Swamp NightjarCaprimulgus natalensisRR 
15#Square-tailed Nightjar#Caprimulgus fossiiRR 
16Gray Crowned-CraneBalearica regulorum EN
17Black Crowned-CraneBalearica pavoninaRRV
18/Eurasian Curlew/Numenius arquata NT
19/Bar-tailed Godwit/Limosa lapponica NT
20/Black-tailed Godwit/Limosa limosa NT
21/Great Snipe/Gallinago media NT
22/Broad-billed Sandpiper/Calidris falcinellusRR 
23/Curlew Sandpiper/Calidris ferruginea NT
24Quail-ploverOrtyxelos meiffreniiLC 
25Rock PratincoleGlareola nuchalisRR 
26/Black-winged Pratincole/Glareola nordmanni NT
27<Lesser Flamingo>Phoenicoparrus minor V
28#White-capped Albatross#Thalassarche cauta NT
29African Woolly-necked StorkCiconia microscelis NT
30Western Reef-HeronEgretta gularisRR 
31\Malagasy Pond-Heron\Ardeola idae EN
32ShoebillBalaeniceps rexLCV
33SecretarybirdSagittarius serpentarius EN
34(Scissor-tailed Kite)Chelictinia riocourii V
35Bearded VultureGypaetus barbatus NT
36Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterus EN
37White-headed VultureTrigonoceps occipitalis CR
38Lappet-faced VultureTorgos tracheliotos EN
39Hooded VultureNecrosyrtes monachus CR
40White-backed VultureGyps africanus CR
41Rueppell's GriffonGyps rueppelli CR
42BateleurTerathopius ecaudatus EN
43Crowned EagleStephanoaetus coronatus NT
44Martial EaglePolemaetus bellicosus EN
45/Greater Spotted Eagle/Clanga clanga V
46Ayres's Hawk-EagleHieraaetus ayresiiLC 
47Tawny EagleAquila rapax V
48/Steppe Eagle/Aquila nipalensis EN
49/Imperial Eagle/Aquila heliaca V
50/Pallid Harrier/Circus macrourus NT
51Mountain BuzzardButeo oreophilus NT
52African Grass-OwlTyto capensisLC 
53Northern White-faced OwlPtilopsis leucotisLC 
54Abyssinian Ground-HornbillBucorvus abyssinicusRRV
55Southern Ground-HornbillBucorvus leadbeateriLCV
56Hemprich's HornbillLophoceros hemprichiiLC 
57Yellow-rumped TinkerbirdPogoniulus bilineatusRR 
58Yellow-fronted TinkerbirdPogoniulus chrysoconusRR 
59Double-toothed BarbetPogonornis bidentatusRR 
60Cassin's HoneybirdProdotiscus insignisRR 
61Green-backed HoneybirdProdotiscus zambesiaeLC 
62Brown-eared WoodpeckerPardipicus caroliRR 
63Golden-tailed WoodpeckerCampethera abingoniRR 
64Red-necked FalconFalco chicquera NT
65|Red-footed Falcon|Falco vespertinus V
66|Sooty Falcon|Falco concolor V
67Taita FalconFalco fasciinucha V
68Red-headed LovebirdAgapornis pullariusRR 
69Fischer's LovebirdAgapornis fischeriRRNT
70Gray ParrotPsittacus erithacusRREN
71Petit's CuckooshrikeCampephaga petitiRR 
72Red-shouldered CuckooshrikeCampephaga phoeniceaRR 
73Western Black-headed OrioleOriolus brachyrhynchusRR 
74Chestnut Wattle-eyeDyaphorophyia castaneaRR 
75Jameson's Wattle-eyePlatysteira jamesoniRR 
76Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyePlatysteira concretaRR 
77Gray-headed BatisBatis orientalisRR 
78Western Black-headed BatisBatis erlangeriRR 
79Gray-crested HelmetshrikePrionops poliolophusNENT
80African Shrike-flycatcherMegabyas flammulatusRR 
81Pink-footed PuffbackDryoscopus angolensisRR 
82Black-headed GonolekLaniarius erythrogasterRR 
83Papyrus GonolekLaniarius mufumbiriRRNT
84Doherty's BushshrikeTelophorus dohertyiRR 
85Gray-green BushshrikeChlorophoneus bocageiRR 
86Sharpe's DrongoDicrurus sharpeiRR 
87Square-tailed DrongoDicrurus ludwigiiRR 
88Velvet-mantled DrongoDicrurus modestusRR 
89Yellow-billed ShrikeCorvinella corvinaRR 
90Magpie ShrikeUrolestes melanoleucaRR 
91Mackinnon's ShrikeLanius mackinnoniRR 
92/Woodchat Shrike/Lanius senator NT
93PiapiacPtilostomus aferRR 
94Yellow-bellied HyliotaHyliota flavigasterRR 
95Southern HyliotaHyliota australisRR 
96Dusky Crested FlycatcherElminia nigromitrataRR 
97Red-throated TitMelaniparus fringillinusNE 
98Williams's LarkMirafra williamsiE 
99Friedmann's LarkMirafra pulpaRR 
100Sentinel LarkCorypha athiNE 
101Green CrombecSylvietta virensRR 
102Green-capped EremomelaEremomela scotopsRR 
103Turner's EremomelaEremomela turneriRRNT
104Olive-green CamaropteraCamaroptera chloronotaRR 
105Banded PriniaPrinia bairdiiRR 
106Red-winged PriniaPrinia erythropteraRR 
107Black-faced Rufous-WarblerBathmocercus rufusRR 
108Whistling CisticolaCisticola lateralisLC 
109Rock-loving CisticolaCisticola aberransLC 
110Boran CisticolaCisticola bodessaLC 
111Lyne's CisticolaCisticola distinctusNE 
112Carruthers's CisticolaCisticola carruthersiRR 
113Levaillant's CisticolaCisticola tinniensRR 
114Aberdare CisticolaCisticola aberdareEV
115Tabora CisticolaCisticola angusticaudaRR 
116Foxy CisticolaCisticola troglodytesRR 
117Black-backed CisticolaCisticola eximiusRR 
118Papyrus Yellow-WarblerCalamonastides gracilirostrisRRV
119/Basra Reed Warbler/Acrocephalus griseldis EN
120Evergreen-forest WarblerBradypterus lopeziRR 
121#Montane Blue Swallow#Hirundo atrocaerulea V
122Rufous-chested SwallowCecropis semirufaRR 
123Red-tailed BristlebillBleda syndactylusRR 
124Pale-throated GreenbulAtimastillas flavigulaRR 
125Honeyguide GreenbulBaeopogon indicatorRR 
126Little GreenbulEurillas virensRR 
127Gray GreenbulEurillas gracilisRR 
128Ansorge's GreenbulEurillas ansorgeiRR 
129Gray-olive GreenbulPhyllastrephus cerviniventrisRR 
130Toro Olive-GreenbulPhyllastrephus hypochlorisRR 
131Uganda Woodland-WarblerPhylloscopus budongoensisRR 
132Kafa White-eyeZosterops kaffensisNE 
133Kikuyu White-eyeZosterops kikuyuensisE 
134Brown IlladopsisIlladopsis fulvescensRR 
135Pale-breasted IlladopsisIlladopsis rufipennisRR 
136Scaly-breasted IlladopsisIlladopsis albipectusRR 
137Hinde's Pied-BabblerTurdoides hindeiEV
138Arrow-marked BabblerTurdoides jardineiiRR 
139Northern Pied-BabblerTurdoides hypoleucaNE 
140African Spotted CreeperSalpornis salvadoriRR 
141Bristle-crowned StarlingOnychognathus salvadoriiLC 
142Abbott's StarlingPoeoptera femoralisNEEN
143Hildebrandt's StarlingLamprotornis hildebrandtiNE 
144Ashy StarlingLamprotornis unicolorNE 
145(Splendid Starling)Lamprotornis splendidusRR 
146Lesser Blue-eared StarlingLamprotornis chloropterusRR 
147Purple StarlingLamprotornis purpureusRR 
148White-tailed Ant-ThrushNeocossyphus poensisRR 
149Orange Ground-ThrushGeokichla gurneyiRR 
150Gambaga FlycatcherMuscicapa gambagaeLC 
151Swamp FlycatcherMuscicapa aquaticaRR 
152Gray Tit-FlycatcherFraseria plumbeusLC 
153Chapin's FlycatcherFraseria lenduNEV
154Blue-shouldered Robin-ChatCossypha cyanocampterRR 
155Gray-winged Robin-ChatSheppardia poliopteraLC 
156Moorland ChatPinarochroa sordidaRR 
157Familiar ChatOenanthe familiarisLC 
158Western Violet-backed SunbirdAnthreptes longuemareiRR 
159Gray-chinned SunbirdAnthreptes rectirostrisRR 
160<Pygmy Sunbird>Hedydipna platuraRR 
161Green-throated SunbirdChalcomitra rubescensRR 
162Red-tufted SunbirdNectarinia johnstoniRR 
163Olive-bellied SunbirdCinnyris chloropygiusRR 
164Eastern Double-collared SunbirdCinnyris mediocrisNE 
165Gorgeous SunbirdCinnyris melanogastrusNE 
166Orange-tufted SunbirdCinnyris bouvieriRR 
167Superb SunbirdCinnyris superbusRR 
168Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser superciliosusRR 
169Donaldson Smith's Sparrow-WeaverPlocepasser donaldsoniLC 
170Red-headed MalimbeMalimbus rubricollisRR 
171Little WeaverPloceus luteolusLC 
172Slender-billed WeaverPloceus pelzelniRR 
173Northern Brown-throated WeaverPloceus castanopsRR 
174Northern Masked-WeaverPloceus taeniopterusLC 
175Vieillot's Black WeaverPloceus nigerrimusRR 
176Dark-backed WeaverPloceus bicolorRR 
177Compact WeaverPachyphantes superciliosusRR 
178Red-headed QueleaQuelea erythropsRR 
179Northern Red BishopEuplectes franciscanusRR 
180Black BishopEuplectes gierowiiLC 
181Marsh WidowbirdEuplectes hartlaubiRR 
182Long-tailed WidowbirdEuplectes progneRR 
183Jackson's WidowbirdEuplectes jacksoniNENT
184White-breasted NigritaNigrita fusconotusRR 
185Black-crowned WaxbillEstrilda nonnulaRR 
186Kandt's WaxbillEstrilda kandtiRR 
187Black-rumped WaxbillEstrilda troglodytesRR 
188Red-headed BluebillSpermophaga ruficapillaRR 
189Orange-winged PytiliaPytilia afraLC 
190Brown TwinspotClytospiza monteiriLC 
191Black-bellied FirefinchLagonosticta raraRR 
192Purple IndigobirdVidua purpurascensRR 
193Somali SparrowPasser castanopterusLC 
194Kenya Rufous SparrowPasser rufocinctusNE 
195Swahili SparrowPasser suahelicusNE 
196Cape WagtailMotacilla capensisLC 
197Bush PipitAnthus cafferLC 
198Sharpe's LongclawMacronyx sharpeiEEN
199Oriole FinchLinurgus olivaceusRR 
200Papyrus CanaryCrithagra koliensisRR 
201Black-throated CanaryCrithagra atrogularisRR 
202Southern Grosbeak-CanaryCrithagra buchananiNE 
203Stripe-breasted SeedeaterCrithagra striatipectusRR 
204Gray-chested BabblerKakamega poliothoraxRR 
205Brown-rumped BuntingEmberiza affinisRR 

 

 *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.