Tag: Lake Baringo

Bird of the Week

Vulturine Guineafowl ((Acryllium vulturinum))

c@Joseph Aengwo

 Vulturine Guineafowl is Large, unmistakable guineafowl; the bare skin of the head and neck is bluish-gray with a band of short chestnut feathers that extends behind the eyes on the back of the head; long, white striped plumes extend from the breast and back; the upper back and breast is brilliant blue, with a black patch on the center of the chest; wings and rear half of body spotted with a long, drooping tail. Females are similar to the males, but slightly smaller and have smaller tarsal spurs. Chicks much like other guineafowl, but develop light blue underparts in a few weeks.Common in dry savanna and scrub land of northeastern Kenya.This photo was taken in Samburu National Reserve.

Bird of the Week, Uncategorized

Magpie Starling (Speculipastor bicolor)


The magpie starling is a northeast African endemic and an occasional non-breeding visitor to northeastern Tanzania. The male is black and white; the female, brown and white both with bright red eye which aid identification a great deal. The best place to see them in Kenya is Lake Baringo where is frequently spotted feeding in big fig trees along the cliffs.

Bird watching

Joe guided Nigel Marven of Animal Planet on a Kenya Birding Trip

photo@Joe Aengwo

Nigel Marven went Birding in Kenya

When Moses, a colleague of mine informed me that I was to guide a client from England for 8 days birding safaris, I had no idea that my client will torn out to be Nigel Marven, the famous Animal Planet natural history presenter.  We had good time birding together in Kakamega forest, Tugen hills,Lake Baringo, Bogoria, and Nakuru and finally Nairobi National Park. We managed to spot over 300 species of birds and lucky enough, we managed to see most of our sort after species with exception of four or five species.

Bird of the Week, Bird Photography, Bird watching

Jacson’s Hornbill (Tockus jacksoni)

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Similar to other hornbills, Jackson’s hornbills have a unique and nearly predator proof way of raising their offspring. Before she lays her eggs, the female is sealed in a tree cavity by her mate. During this time, he passes her food through a narrow slit.The species is an example of sexual dimorphism, meaning there is a difference in form between males and females of the same species. The male Jackson’s hornbill has a red billed with a yellow tip (see above) and the female has a black bill.

In Kenya they are found in Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Kapedo and the the  upper part of the Rift Vally mostly in Turkana area.

Bird of the Week

Black-faced Sandgrouse (Pterocles decoratus)

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The sandgrouse are distributed across northern, southern and eastern Kenya, Specifically in desert and semi-arid areas of Samburu, Meru, Marsabit, Turkana,Lake Baringo,Tsavo west and east, and Amboseli

Sandgrouse have compact bodies, but small, pigeon-like heads and necks. The different species range in length from 24 – 40 cm and weigh from 150 – 500 g.

Males and females look alike, Some species are also polymorphic .

They have long pointed wings and short legs that are feathered down to the toes, and members of the genus Syrrhaptes also have feathered toes.

Sandgrouse mostly feed on seed and are often seen in large feeding flocks with up to 100 birds.

Sandgrouse are monogamous (form life-long pair bonds). They make their nest on a slight depression in the ground. The average clutch consists of 2 eggs, occasionally up to 4. The male and female share the incubation duties; with the male incubating during the night and early mornings, and the female taking over during the day.

The young hatch after about 20 – 25 days; and are able soon able to leave the nest.

They are able to feed themselves from the day they hatch, but have to learn foraging skills from their parents for several months.

Bird of the Week

Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)

Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)

Photo@Raymond Galea

The adult Long-crested Eagle is overall very dark brown or black, except for white patches at the joint of the wing both above and below, white under-wing coverts spotted with black, a white base to the tail and greyish brown tarsi. The eyes golden to reddish brown, the cere and feet yellow.
Immatures can be distinguished from the adult by the whiter tips of the neck feathers, the less prominent crest, and a generally more mottled appearance. The eyes are dark olive-brown, the feet and cere pale ochre-yellow.

Long-crested Eagle can easily be seen in Kenya thought out Nairobi, Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru National Park,Amboseli, Tsavo East and West National Park.

Uncategorized

Goliath Heron(Ardea goliath)

Goliath Heron

Photo@Yan Van Dainne

Goliath Heron

The Goliath heron is Africa largest heron, standing 53-to-55 inches tall, with a wingspan of six-to-seven feet. Male and female look similar, with an overall covering of slate gray and chestnut feathers. The head and its bushy crest, face, back and sides of the neck are chestnut. The chin, throat, foreneck and upper breast are white, with black streaks across the foreneck and upper breast. The lower breast and belly are buff with black streaks. The upper mandible is black and the lores and orbital areas are yellow with a greenish tinge. The eyes are yellow and legs and feet are black. Juveniles look similar to the adults, but are paler.

The Goliath heron is territorial, usually living alone near water. A diurnal and often rather inactive feeder, the heron hunts by standing in the shallows, or on floating vegetation, intently watching the water at its feet. As prey appears, the heron rapidly spears it with open mandibles.

Goliath heron nests are found in trees overhanging water, on the ground and in low bushes. Both sexes build the stick and reed platform nest, which measures three-to-four feet across. Both parents incubate two-to-four pale blue eggs for 29 days. The chicks are covered with long white down.

Bird of the Week, Bird watching, Uncategorized

Pel’s Fishing-Owl (Scotopelia peli)

Pel's Fishing-Owl (Scotopelia peli)

Photo@Yan Van Dainne

Fish owls differ from other owls in that they have no feathers on their feet. Additionally, they lack the noiseless flight typical of owls, perhaps because their submerged prey is less able to hear their approach.  Three species of fish owl occurs in Africa . Pel’s Fishing Owl snatch their prey while skimming the water surface. In Kenya it is found in Maasai Mara and Samburu national reserve along the the Mara rive and Ewaso Ngiro rivers.