List of bird species in Ol Pejeta Conservancy : Ol Pejeta Conservancy situated on the foothills of snow-capped Mount Kenya in Central Kenya’s Laikipia County is a unique wildlife destination in Kenya, the conservancy is famous for protecting the world’s last two northern white rhino and one of the largest populations of rhinos in the world.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the best place in Kenya to see rhinos, the conservancy covers an area of 360 square kilometers lying between the foothills of the Aberdare ranges and Mount Kenya. In addition to rhinos, the conservancy is home to the Big Five (leopards, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos and lions).
Ol Pejeta Conservancy was established in 1988 and was originally a cattle farm, the conservancy has developed into a wildlife sanctuary and is a very important conservancy protecting endangered species.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is one of the best birding destinations in Kenya boasting over 500 bird species including resident, migrant bird species, rare bird species, endangered bird species and nearly endangered species.
Birds in Ol Pejeta Conservancy include
Ostriches including common ostriches, guinea fowls which include vulturine guinea fowl and helmeted guineafowl, francolins, Quails, and spur fowls such as harlequin quail, common quail, crested francolin, Shelley’s francolin, yellow-necked spurfowl, and the Scaly Francolin
Other bird species found in Ol Pejeta Conservancy include ducks and geese which are listed as Egyptian geese, Hottentot Tea anas, red-billed Tea Anas, Knob-billed duck, African black duck, northern shoveler Anas, Spur-Winged Goose, Maccoa Duck Oxyura, and the little grebe.
Other categories of birds in Ol Pejeta Conservancy include the famous Storks including Marabou Stork, yellow-billed Stork, Black stork, White stork, African Open billed Stork, Sandle billed stork and Abdms stork. There are also several Ibises and Spoonbills which include Hadada ibis, Glossy Ibis, African Sacred Ibis, African spoonbill.
- Herons and Egrets which include little Egret, black-crowned night heron, Great egret, Western Cattle Egret, Striated Heron, black-headed heron, Intermediate Egret, Squacco Heron, and little egrets.
- Pelicans and Cormorants including reed cormorant, white-breasted Cormorant, Great White Pelican, and Pink-backed Pelican including the Hamerkop Scopus.
- Weavers including Jacksons Wildowbird, yellow bishop, Cardinal Quelea, red-billed Quelea, Village Weaver, Baglafecht weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Chestnut Weaver, Spekes Weaver, Holub’s Golden Weaver, white-winged Widow bird, yellow mantled widow bird, red-collared widowbird, long-tailed widowbird, Vitelline Masked Weaver among other weavers.
- Canries and Seed eaters including the streaky seed eater, yellow-ramped seed eater, Brimstone Canary, yellow Fronted Canary, and Golden-breasted bunting, and wagtails such as tree pipit, grassland Pipit, yellow wagtail, African pied Wagtail, Grassland Pipit, Yellow-throated Longclaw and Rosy-Throated Long claw among others.
- Waxills, Fire Finches and Manning’s including Bronze Mannikin, red-billed fire finch, Purple Grenadier, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, and pin-tailed Whydah. Other species include the variable sunbirds, yellow-spotted Petronia, Kenya sparrow passer, Grey-capped Social Weaver, Makchite sunbirds, Amethyst Sunbird, Bronzy Sunbird, Golden-Winged sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Marico sunbird among others.
- Flycatchers including African Dusky flycatcher, Pale Flycatcher, Pied wheatear, common redstart, capped Wheatear, common rock thrust, Southern Black Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Northern Wheatear, Isabelline Wheatear, white-browed Scrub-Robin, White-browed Robin-Chat, common Nightingale, African Thrush among other bird species
Best Time To Go Bird Watching in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
The best to visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy is during the short rainy season from November to December when plants are in bloom, this is also a good time to see migratory birds as they are present.
Where to stay in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
There are a number of beautiful accommodation facilities in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, these accommodations include
- Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
- Sweetwaters Serena Camp
- Ol Pejeta House
- Kicheche Laikipia Camp
- Porini Rhino Camp
In addition to bird watching in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, this fascinating Kenya wildlife destination offers game drives, lion tracking, walking safari and visiting the chimpanzee sanctuary.
