Birding in Gatamaiyu Forest and Manguo Swamp
Are you looking for birding tour to Gatamaiyu Forest and Manguo Swamp? Yes, these are major birdwatching spots in Kenya to see a number of birds.
Gatamaiyu Forest lies north of Nairobi-Naivasha highway; about an hour’s drive from Nairobi city. Birds pass via Manguo swamp for a birding break before continuing with your journey to the forest for another exciting birding trip. This journey also takes you through a tea plantation, visitor may engage in tea picking and cultural interactions with the local community. On this road trip, you may encounter several birds including the Common Stonechat, Hunter’s Cisticola, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher among others.
Manguo swamp is a fresh wetland close to Limuru town and only 40 minutes from Nairobi city. Manguo comes from a local language which means hippos; however, these hippos fled some decades ago due the influence of urbanization and human activities. Before the railway was constructed via Limuru town, the whole place was a big thick forest, extending from Kikuyu Escarpment Forest. The swamp hosts a number of water birds including the Maccoa duck. Maccoa ducks have been listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN red list in recent times. Manguo wetlands are also breeding grounds for the common Grey-crowned Cranes.
The following are key bird species found in Birding in Gatamaiyu Forest and Manguo Swamp;
White Stork
Abdim’s Stork
Augur Buzzard
Long-crested Eagle
Tambourine Dove
Olive Pigeon
Bar-tailed Trogon
Black Kite
African Harrier-Hawk
Little Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Bee-eater
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
White-headed Wood-hoopoe
Lemon Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Red-fronted Parrot
Hartlaub’s Turaco
African Emerald Cuckoo
Scarce Swift
Mottled Swift
Speckled Mousebird
Crowned Hornbill
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
Moustached Green Tinkerbird
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Fine-banded Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Bearded Woodpecker
Red-rumped Swallow
Mountain Greenbul
Cabanis’ Greenbul
Common Bulbul
Black-fronted Bush-Shrike
Black Saw-wing
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
Slender-billed Greenbul
Tropical Boubou
Black-backed Puffback
White-starred Robin
Rüppell’s Robin-Chat
Brown-chested Alethe
Olive Thrush
African Hill Babbler
Grey Wagtail
Mountain Wagtail
Black Cuckoo-shrike
Grey Cuckoo-shrike
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
African Paradise Flycatcher
White-bellied Tit
Collared Sunbird
Brown Woodland Warbler
Evergreen Forest Warbler
Cinnamon Bracken Warbler
Chestnut-throated Apalis
Grey Apalis
Black-throated Apalis
Black-collared Apalis
Willow Warbler
Chin-spot Batis
White-tailed Crested Flycatcher
White-browed Crombec
African Dusky Flycatcher
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
Olive Sunbird
Green-headed Sunbird
Brown-capped Weaver
Waller’s Starling
Abbott’s Starling
Northern Double-collared Sunbird
Montane White-eye
Yellow-crowned Canary
Streaky Seedeater
Thick-billed Seedeater
Amethyst Sunbird
Spectacled Weaver
Grey-headed Negrofinch
Abyssinian Crimson-wing
Yellow-bellied Waxbill
Eurasian Golden
Montane Oriole
Pied Crow
