Spotted on Safari: Magnificent Birds in Kenya

First we have the African Jacana Bird. These are usually identifiable by their long toes and long claws that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, which is their preferred habitat. They are sometimes referred to as Jesus birds because of this ability.

 

We love this shot of a Black-Winged Stilt, which is recognisable from its fine straight bill, long reddish pink legs and black and white plumage. Both in flight and at rest the long red legs are characteristic. They are usually found in freshwater and saltwater marshes, mudflats, and the shallow edges of lakes and rivers.

 

The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. Martin told us that Greater Flamingos tend to bury their bills or sometimes even their entire heads to suck up mud to access the tasty morsels. Their beaks have a filter-like structure to remove food before H2O is expelled. It is thought that crustaceans like shrimps are responsible for their pink colour due to the carotenoids in their diet of animal and plant plankton.

The Nubian Woodpecker is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is distributed widely in Central and Eastern Africa. Typically the male has a red crown and nape and a reddish streak on the cheek, while the female has a black crown speckled with white, a red nape, and a dark cheek stripe with white speckling. They are usually found in open savannah and woodland, especially where there are bushy areas and scrub. The Nubian Woodpecker is a non-migratory bird, and its diet is almost entirely ants, termites and sometimes other insects.

If seeing these wonderful photos of birds has inspired you to want to go on safari, and enjoy some bird watching yourself, we have some amazing itineraries available and can advise you on the best spots for it, or alternatively, create a bespoke itinerary for you.

We would love to work with you to plan the safari holiday of a lifetime. For more information on how our safari experts can help you, call Somak Holidays today on 020 8423 3000, or visit our website here:

https://www.somak.com/kenya-safari

All photos are credited to Martin Weru.