ARABUKO-SOKOKE FOREST & LIST
KENYA
Kilifi (E coast)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W 40,200ha (25% primary forest, and 3 vegetation types)
Protected/registered status
July to September (September-October 2004)
Birding Site Guide
This forest reserve is located about 110km north of Mombasa (and 18km S of Malinbi) on the Kenyan coast. To reach the reserve from Niarobi requires driving the very bad road to the coast. This main road is unpaved, very heavily rutted and with huge potholes, very busy with many lorries and dusty. Do not attempt this road in an ordinary saloon car; even with a 4 wheel-drive do not expect to average more than 25km/hr without wrecking it. There are blinding dust trails left by the lorries, however stopping is not an option as vehicles behind (equally blind) would plough into you; slowing down and hoping the person in front has not stopped is the only option. When it has rained expect delays due to the mud. The train from Nairobi to Mombasa may be a better option.
There are many places to stay of varying price and quality along the coast road.
Upon reaching the reserve by the paved coastal road, head to the administration and arrange for a guide. There are 2 entrances Southern entrance Kararacha Gate, middle entrance Mida Gate. If a guide is not immediately available get a map and take your vehicle and bird along the sandy tracks through the forest. Later once a guide has been arrange, go with him to locate the speciality birds still needed and most importantly arrange your night visit to see the Sokoke Scops Owl. There are several competent park guides who should be able to locate the owl, but expect to pay a little more for the more experienced ones. Your chances of finding this scarce, tiny owl without a guide and not getting lost in the process are next to nil.
The night’s search will probably involve a possibly long scramble and crawl through dense thorn scrub, wear long sleeved shirts, thick trousers and walking boots. Also useful will be a tape-recorder and a small torch to locate the bird and larger spot light for better views. The diminutive, softly calling owl will probably seem further back than it really is and will not be very high up (1-4m).
Look for Sokoke Pipit along the sides of the tracks especially in lightly grassed areas and clearings. White-winged Apalis may be found (sometimes with small flocks of other birds) in the mid-canopy of larger more open branched trees.
For a very good map of Kenya’s National Parks and National Reserves see Kenyan Safari Guide’s map below, maps are copyright of Kenyalogy. www.kenyalogy.com/eng/parques/parques.html SEE OTHER MAPS ON THIS WEBSITE, ESP MASAI MARA
Species seen. For full bird and mammal species list with scientific names go to KENYA FULL TRIP LIST
- African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus SF
- White-faced Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata Mt, SF
- White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus SF
- Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos SF, LB
- African Pygmy-goose Nettapus auritus SF
- Red-billed Duck Anas erythrorhyncha Mt, SF
- Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma SF
- Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus S, SF, LNa
- Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata Mt, SF, LB
- Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola SF
- Spur-winged Plover Vanellus spinosus SF, R
- Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula SF, LNa
- Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius SF
- White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus SF
- Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus SF
- Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus SF
- Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii SF
- Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia SF
- Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii SF
- Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis SF
- Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri NT SF
- Dideric Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius SF, K
- Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis SF
- Sokoke Scops-Owl Otus ireneae E SF
- Mottled Spinetail Telacanthura ussheri SF
- Mottled Swift Tachymarptis aequatorialis SF
- African Pygmy-Kingfisher Ispidina picta SF, LNa
- Jackson's Hornbill Tockus jacksoni SF
- Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus SF, LNa
- Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni SF
- Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopica SF
- Mosque Swallow Cecropis senegalensis MM, Mt, SF
- Sokoke Pipit Anthus sokokensis E SF
- Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus SF, T
- Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus SF
- Yellow-bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris SF
- Eastern Nicator Nicator gularis SF, LNa
- Red-tailed Ant-Thrush Neocossyphus rufus SF
- Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana LN, SF
- Black-headed Apalis Apalis melanocephala SF
- Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix SF
- Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria SF
- Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata LN, SF
- Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens SF
- East Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi V SF
- Rueppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa LN, SF
- Bearded Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas quadrivirgata SF
- Short-tailed Batis Batis mixta SF
- Pale Batis Batis soror SF
- Yellow Flycatcher Erythrocercus holochlorus SF
- African Crested-Flycatcher Trochocercus cyanomelas SF
- Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii SF, LNa
- Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris SF
- Amani Sunbird Hedydipna pallidigaster E SF
- Purple-banded Sunbird Cinnyris bifasciatus SF
- African Golden Oriole Oriolus auratus SF, T
- Four-colored Bushshrike Telophorus viridis SF
- Retz's Helmetshrike Prionops retzii SF
- Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike Prionops scopifrons SF
- Black-bellied Glossy-Starling Lamprotornis corruscus SF
- Golden Palm Weaver Ploceus bojeri SF
- Vitelline Masked-Weaver Ploceus vitellinus SF
- Clarke's Weaver Ploceus golandi e E SF
- Forest Weaver Ploceus bicolor K, SF
- Zanzibar Bishop Euplectes nigroventris SF
Common Kenyan species some of which were seen here and the rest generally
- Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
- Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
- Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus
- Gray Heron Ardea cinerea
- Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
- Goliath Heron Ardea goliath
- Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
- Great Egret Ardea alba
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta
- Western Reef-Heron Egretta gularis
- Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- Striated Heron Butorides striata
- Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
- Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis
- Abdim's Stork Ciconia abdimii
- Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
- Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus
- Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
- Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash
- Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
- Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
- Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
- Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata
- Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
- Scissor-tailed Kite Chelictinia riocourii
- Black Kite Milvus migrans
- African Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer
- White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus
- Black-breasted Snake-Eagle Circaetus pectoralis
- Western Marsh-Harrier Circus aeruginosus
- African Marsh-Harrier Circus ranivorus
- Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
- African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus
- Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus
- Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar
- Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo
- Augur Buzzard Buteo augur
- Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
- Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis
- Secretary-bird Sagittarius serpentarius
- Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
- Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
- Hildebrandt's Francolin Francolinus hildebrandti
- Yellow-necked Francolin Francolinus leucoscepus
- Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris
- Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra
- Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
- African Jacana Actophilornis africanus
- Greater Painted-snipe Rostratula benghalensis
- Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
- Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
- Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus
- Crowned Lapwing Vanellus coronatus
- Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola
- Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
- Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii
- Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
- Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
- Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
- Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
- Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
- Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
- Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
- Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
- Common Redshank Tringa totanus
- Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
- Sanderling Calidris alba
- Little Stint Calidris minuta
- Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
- Dunlin Calidris alpina
- Ruff Philomachus pugnax
- European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
- Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
- Gray-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus
- Saunders' Tern Sternula saundersi
- Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
- Common Tern Sterna hirundo
- Rock Pigeon Columba livia
- African Mourning Dove Streptopelia decipiens
- Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
- Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur chalcospilos
- Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria
- Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi
- Eastern Plantain-eater Crinifer zonurus
- Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
- Klaas' Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas
- Yellowbill Ceuthmochares aereus
- White-browed Coucal Centropus superciliosus
- African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus
- Common Swift Apus apus
- Little Swift Apus affinis
- Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus
- Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina
- Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata
- Gray-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala
- Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
- Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates
- White-throated Bee-eater Merops albicollis
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus
- European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
- Northern Carmine Bee-eater Merops nubicus
- Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus
- Common Scimitar-bill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
- Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus
- Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator
- Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens
- Gray Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae
- Singing Bushlark Mirafra cantillans
- Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana
- Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark Eremopterix signatus
- Black Sawwing Psalidoprocne pristoptera
- Plain Martin Riparia paludicola
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
- Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
- House Martin Delichon urbicum
- Lesser Striped-Swallow Cecropis abyssinica
- Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
- African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus
- Rosy-throated Longclaw Macronyx ameliae
- African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
- Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
- Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike Campephaga quiscalina
- Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus
- Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Andropadus latirostris
- Eastern Mountain-Greenbul Andropadus nigriceps
- Honeyguide Greenbul Baeopogon indicator
- Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush Monticola saxatilis
- African Thrush Turdus pelios
- Singing Cisticola Cisticola cantans
- Winding Cisticola Cisticola galactotes
- Carruthers' Cisticola Cisticola carruthersi
- Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida
- Green-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brachyura
- African Bush-Warbler Bradypterus baboecala
- Red-faced Crombec Sylvietta whytii
- Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
- Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
- Southern Hyliota Hyliota australis
- Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
- Pale Flycatcher Bradornis pallidus
- White-eyed Slaty-Flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri
- Gray Tit-Flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus
- Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis
- Equatorial Akalat Sheppardia aequatorialis
- Rufous-tailed Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas galactotes
- African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus
- Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
- Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye Platysteira concreta
- African Paradise-Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis
- Scaly-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis albipectus
- Pale-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis rufipennis
- Gray Tit Melaniparus afer
- Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis
- Green-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra rubescens
- Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina
- Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri
- African Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus
- Gray-backed Fiscal Lanius excubitoroides
- Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi
- Common Fiscal Lanius collaris
- White-crowned Shrike Eurocephalus anguitimens
- Marsh Tchagra Tchagra minutus
- Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus
- Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis
- Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis
- House Crow Corvus splendens intro
- Pied Crow Corvus albus
- Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea
- Superb Starling Lamprotornis superbus
- Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio
- Stuhlmann's Starling Poeoptera stuhlmanni
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus
- Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger
- White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli
- White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali
- Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser superciliosus
- Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht
- Holub's Golden-Weaver Ploceus xanthops
- Northern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus castanops
- Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
- Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni NT
- White-breasted Negrofinch Nigrita fusconotus
- Green-backed Twinspot Mandingoa nitidula
- Red-cheeked Cordonbleu Uraeginthus bengalus
- Bar-breasted Firefinch Lagonosticta rufopicta
- Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
- Streaky Seedeater Serinus striolatus
- KEY
- CR = Critical
- E = Endangered
- V = Vulnerable
- NT = Near-threatened
- e = endemic
- intro = introduced
- no sites given for common species or species more readily found in Europe
- A = Athi Plains
- L = Liota Plains
- LB = Lake Baringo
- LN = Lake Nakuru
- LNa = Lake Naivasha
- MM = Masia Mara NP
- Mt = Mount Kenya NP
- N = Niarobi NP
- N to M = Niarobi to Mombasa
- R = Red Brick Dam, Lake Victoria
- S = Samburu GR
- SF = Sokoke Forest & coast
- SS = Saiwa Swamp
- T = Tsavo
- h = heard only
Author: BSG
www.birdingsiteguide.com
