Beyond the Big Five: The Masai Mara’s 570 Bird Species

By Safari News — Africa Calling Safaris, Partner desk, Nairobi · 28/10/2026

Travellers who fly into the Masai Mara expecting lions and wildebeest often leave with a new obsession: birds. The reserve’s ecosystem has recorded more than 570 bird species, a tally that exceeds the entire checklist of the United Kingdom. The variety stems from the Mara’s mix of open savannah, riverine forest, papyrus swamp and rocky outcrops, each supporting its own community of species within a compact, easily accessible area.

Along the Mara River, pockets of riverine forest shelter birds never seen on the open plains, including Ross’s turaco, the Narina trogon and the African broadbill. The Musiara Swamp, one of Kenya’s leading wetland birding sites, draws saddle-billed storks, black-crowned night herons and African jacanas, with wader numbers swelling during migration season. Raptors are a particular strength of the ecosystem: 57 species have been logged, among the highest counts anywhere in Africa, with martial eagles, bateleurs and African fish eagles regularly spotted from a vehicle, alongside seasonal influxes of Steppe eagles passing through on migration.

Camps across the reserve now offer dedicated birding safaris, using smaller vehicles and a slower pace to track specific species. Between November and April, the Mara also hosts wintering Palearctic migrants, making this the peak window for visitors travelling from Europe or the Caucasus, where many of these species breed in summer. For travellers combining the Caucasus with East Africa, a Tbilisi or Yerevan departure typically routes through Doha, Istanbul or Addis Ababa to reach Nairobi before the onward transfer to the Mara.

General safari guides are usually competent on birds, though specialists add value for serious listers. Standard 8×42 or 10×42 waterproof binoculars are recommended, and a single game drive can comfortably combine mammal and bird sightings, provided visitors accept a slower pace.

Based on reporting by Safari News, the travel desk of Africa Calling Safaris (Nairobi), GTour’s partner for East Africa. Read the original there.