Amboseli National Park

National Park · Kenya

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Photo © ProtoplasmaKid

Photo © ProtoplasmaKid — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Where the Amboseli basin opens toward the Tanzanian frontier, a shallow alkaline lake mirrors vast skies across one of East Africa's most iconic savanna landscapes. The park itself encompasses dry grasslands, acacia woodland, and wetland fringes that shift with seasonal rains, creating a mosaic of habitats within relatively modest boundaries. The ground rises gently toward the Chyulu Hills to the west, while Mount Kilimanjaro dominates the southern horizon—its snow-capped peak visible on clear mornings from much of the park. This semi-arid terrain supports a characteristic suite of African savanna wildlife: large herbivores that congregate around permanent water sources and seasonal grasslands, predatory mammals that track the movements of prey across open plains, birds of prey that hunt from thermal columns overhead, and vast assemblies of waterbirds—herons, egrets, ibises, and waders—that depend on the lake's margins and shallow wetlands. The volcanic soils and groundwater geology create surprising ecological richness despite the dry climate, allowing the park to function as a critical wildlife corridor and water refuge during the driest seasons.

For wildlife photographers and birders, Amboseli's appeal lies in its open terrain, which affords exceptional viewing distances and relatively predictable wildlife patterns. The dry season concentrates animals around the remaining water, simplifying observation, while the wet season transforms the grasslands and attracts migratory birds that breed in the Rift Valley and beyond. Early morning light bathes the landscape in golden warmth, perfect for capturing the interplay between megafauna and their savanna setting. The park's accessibility from Nairobi and its modest size make it ideal for focused multi-day visits; experienced guides navigate visitors to the best wildlife-viewing zones while minimizing disturbance. Birdwatchers particularly value the diversity of raptors, waterfowl, and grassland species visible in a single day, while the presence of large mammal concentrations—especially during drought periods—offers photographers unparalleled opportunities to document the rhythms of African predator-prey dynamics.

Website kws.go.ke/amboseli-national-park

Email kws@kws.go.ke

Sagittarius serpentarius

Grey Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum

Superb Starling

Lamprotornis superbus

African Spoonbill

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Plocepasser mahali

Western Cattle Egret

Yellow-necked Spurfowl

Pternistis leucoscepus

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

Ardeola ralloides

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

White-faced Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna viduata

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

Leptoptilos crumenifer

Long-tailed Fiscal

Lanius cabanisi

White-backed Vulture

Tringa glareola

Egretta garzetta

Pied Kingfisher

Mourning Collared Dove

Streptopelia decipiens

Malachite Kingfisher

Corythornis cristatus

Von der Decken's Hornbill

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

Pterocles exustus

Speckled Pigeon

African Pied Wagtail

Motacilla aguimp

Slate-colored Boubou

Laniarius funebris

Three-banded Plover

Thinornis tricollaris

Northern White-crowned Shrike

Eurocephalus ruppelli

Lappet-faced Vulture

Torgos tracheliotos

Hartlaub's Bustard

Lissotis hartlaubii

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Nubian Woodpecker

Campethera nubica

Struthio camelus

Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrotalus

Crested Francolin

Ortygornis sephaena

White-bellied Go-away-bird

Crinifer leucogaster

White-necked Raven

Corvus albicollis

Ring-necked Dove

Streptopelia capicola

Spotted Palm Thrush

Cichladusa guttata

Speckled Mousebird

Colius striatus

Red-billed Firefinch

Lagonosticta senegala

D'Arnaud's Barbet

Trachyphonus darnaudii

Parrot-billed Sparrow

Passer gongonensis

Dusky Turtle Dove

Streptopelia lugens

Pycnonotus barbatus

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Chalcomitra senegalensis

Spilopelia senegalensis

African Grey Flycatcher

Bradornis microrhynchus

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow

Beautiful Sunbird

Cinnyris pulchellus

Grey Wren-Warbler

Calamonastes simplex

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Lesser Striped Swallow

Cecropis abyssinica

Little Bee-eater

Merops pusillus

Red-capped Lark

Calandrella cinerea

Blacksmith Lapwing

Vanellus armatus

Actophilornis africanus

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Halcyon leucocephala

Spur-winged Lapwing

Vanellus spinosus

Fischer's Sparrow-Lark

Eremopterix leucopareia

Red-billed Teal

Anas erythrorhyncha

Saddle-billed Stork

Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

African Fish Eagle

Icthyophaga vocifer

Kittlitz's Plover

Anarhynchus pecuarius

Greater Flamingo

Phoenicopterus roseus

Long-toed Lapwing

Vanellus crassirostris

Blue-billed Teal

Spatula hottentota

Anthus cinnamomeus

Collared Pratincole

Glareola pratincola

Spotted Thick-knee

Burhinus capensis

White-headed Buffalo Weaver

Dinemellia dinemelli

Black-headed Heron

Ardea melanocephala

Plegadis falcinellus

Crimson-rumped Waxbill

Estrilda rhodopyga

Eastern Chanting Goshawk

Melierax poliopterus

Crowned Lapwing

Vanellus coronatus

White-browed Coucal

Centropus superciliosus

Red-billed Quelea

Ploceus castaneiceps

Calidris pugnax

Wattled Starling

Creatophora cinerea

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver

Bubalornis niger

Grey-capped Social Weaver

Pseudonigrita arnaudi

Recurvirostra avosetta

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

Gorgeous Sunbird

Cinnyris melanogastrus

Calidris minuta

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Winding Cisticola

Cisticola marginatus

Bostrychia hagedash

Polemaetus bellicosus

Wire-tailed Swallow

Hirundo smithii

Spur-winged Goose

Plectropterus gambensis

Yellow-billed Stork

Lanius dorsalis

Scopus umbretta

Lesser Masked Weaver

Ploceus intermedius

Hildebrandt's Starling

Lamprotornis hildebrandti

Red-knobbed Coot

Fulica cristata

Water Thick-knee

Burhinus vermiculatus

Chlidonias hybrida

African Red-rumped Swallow

Cecropis melanocrissus

White-browed Scrub Robin

Cercotrichas leucophrys

Blue-capped Cordon-bleu

Uraeginthus cyanocephalus

White-bellied Canary

Crithagra dorsostriata

Zapornia flavirostra

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

Hirundo rustica

Fulvous Whistling Duck

Dendrocygna bicolor

White-backed Duck

Thalassornis leuconotus

Knob-billed Duck

Sarkidiornis melanotos

Spatula querquedula

Southern Pochard

Netta erythrophthalma

Harlequin Quail

Coturnix delegorguei

Red-necked Spurfowl

Pternistis afer

Slender-tailed Nightjar

Caprimulgus clarus

African Palm Swift

Cypsiurus parvus

Tachymarptis melba

White-rumped Swift

Buff-crested Bustard

Lophotis gindiana

Black-bellied Bustard

Lissotis melanogaster

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Clamator glandarius

Diederik Cuckoo

Chrysococcyx caprius

Chrysococcyx klaas

Cuculus canorus

Yellow-throated Sandgrouse

Pterocles gutturalis

Black-faced Sandgrouse

Pterocles decoratus

Streptopelia semitorquata

Paragallinula angulata

Gallinula chloropus

African Swamphen

Porphyrio madagascariensis

Baillon's Crake

Zapornia pusilla

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Common Buttonquail

Turnix sylvaticus

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

African Wattled Lapwing

Vanellus senegallus

Greater Painted-snipe

Rostratula benghalensis

Black-tailed Godwit

Gallinago gallinago

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon nilotica

Grey-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

African Openbill

Anastomus lamelligerus

Ciconia ciconia

Microcarbo africanus

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Egretta ardesiaca

Rufous-bellied Heron

Ardeola rufiventris

Yellow-billed Egret

Ardea brachyrhyncha

Pink-backed Pelican

Pelecanus rufescens

Pandion haliaetus

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

African Harrier-Hawk

Polyboroides typus

Palm-nut Vulture

Gypohierax angolensis

Terathopius ecaudatus

Black-chested Snake Eagle

Circaetus pectoralis

Brown Snake Eagle

Circaetus cinereus

Long-crested Eagle

Lophaetus occipitalis

African Hawk-Eagle

Aquila spilogaster

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Pearl-spotted Owlet

Glaucidium perlatum

African Scops Owl

Otus senegalensis

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl

White-headed Mousebird

Colius leucocephalus

Blue-naped Mousebird

Urocolius macrourus

Green Wood Hoopoe

Phoeniculus purpureus

Abyssinian Scimitarbill

Rhinopomastus minor

Northern Red-billed Hornbill

Tockus erythrorhynchus

African Grey Hornbill

Lophoceros nasutus

Coracias naevius

European Roller

Coracias garrulus

African Pygmy Kingfisher

White-fronted Bee-eater

Merops bullockoides

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Merops persicus

Red-and-yellow Barbet

Trachyphonus erythrocephalus

Black-throated Barbet

Tricholaema melanocephala

Greater Honeyguide

Indicator indicator

Bearded Woodpecker

Chloropicus namaquus

Cardinal Woodpecker

Dendropicos fuscescens

Eastern Grey Woodpecker

Dendropicos spodocephalus

Polihierax semitorquatus

Falco tinnunculus

Greater Kestrel

Falco rupicoloides

Falco biarmicus

Grey-headed Bushshrike

Malaconotus blanchoti

Orange-breasted Bushshrike

Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus

Rosy-patched Bushshrike

Rhodophoneus cruentus

Black-backed Puffback

Dryoscopus cubla

African Paradise Flycatcher

Terpsiphone viridis

Northern Fiscal

Lanius humeralis

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Red-tailed Shrike

Lanius phoenicuroides

Singing Bush Lark

Mirafra javanica

Short-tailed Lark

Spizocorys fremantlii

Somali Short-toed Lark

Alaudala somalica

Psalidoprocne pristoptera

Neophedina cincta

Brown-throated Martin

Riparia paludicola

Riparia riparia

Northern Crombec

Sylvietta brachyura

Zitting Cisticola

Cisticola juncidis

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Prinia subflava

Buff-bellied Warbler

Phyllolais pulchella

Banded Parisoma

Rufous Chatterer

Argya rubiginosa

Rüppell's Starling

Lamprotornis purpuroptera

Fischer's Starling

Lamprotornis fischeri

Yellow-billed Oxpecker

Buphagus africanus

Red-billed Oxpecker

Buphagus erythroryncha

African Dusky Flycatcher

Muscicapa adusta

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

White-browed Robin-Chat

Cossypha heuglini

Common Rock Thrush

Monticola saxatilis

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Capped Wheatear

Oenanthe pileata

Isabelline Wheatear

Oenanthe isabellina

Yellow-spotted Bush Sparrow

Gymnoris pyrgita

Chestnut Sparrow

Passer eminibey

Passer rufocinctus

Passer domesticus

Speckle-fronted Weaver

Sporopipes frontalis

Black-necked Weaver

Ploceus nigricollis

Ploceus cucullatus

Chestnut Weaver

Ploceus rubiginosus

Cardinal Quelea

Quelea cardinalis

Yellow-crowned Bishop

Zanzibar Red Bishop

Euplectes nigroventris

Southern Red Bishop

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Euplectes axillaris

White-winged Widowbird

Euplectes albonotatus

Grey-headed Silverbill

Spermestes griseicapilla

African Silverbill

Euodice cantans

Black-faced Waxbill

Brunhilda erythronotos

Estrilda astrild

Cut-throat Finch

Amadina fasciata

Purple Grenadier

Granatina ianthinogaster

Village Indigobird

Vidua chalybeata

Pin-tailed Whydah

Steel-blue Whydah

Vidua hypocherina

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Macronyx croceus

Pangani Longclaw

Macronyx aurantiigula

Rosy-throated Longclaw

Macronyx ameliae

Long-billed Pipit

Red-throated Pipit

Anthus cervinus

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Emberiza tahapisi

Gallinago nigripennis

African Pygmy Goose

Nettapus auritus

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

African Black Duck

Yellow-billed Duck

Northern Pintail

Coqui Francolin

Campocolinus coqui

Shelley's Francolin

Scleroptila shelleyi

Coturnix coturnix

Hildebrandt's Spurfowl

Pternistis hildebrandti

Pternistis squamatus

Sombre Nightjar

Caprimulgus fraenatus

Donaldson Smith's Nightjar

Caprimulgus donaldsoni

Square-tailed Nightjar

Caprimulgus fossii

African Black Swift

Bare-faced Go-away-bird

Crinifer personatus

Purple-crested Turaco

Gallirex porphyreolophus

Centropus grillii

Ceuthmochares australis

Levaillant's Cuckoo

Clamator levaillantii

Clamator jacobinus

Cuculus clamosus

Red-chested Cuckoo

Cuculus solitarius

Cuculus gularis

African Olive Pigeon

Columba arquatrix

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove

Turtur chalcospilos

Tambourine Dove

Turtur tympanistria

African Green Pigeon

Rallus caerulescens

Crecopsis egregia

Allen's Gallinule

Porphyrio alleni

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Black-headed Lapwing

Vanellus tectus

Black-winged Lapwing

Vanellus melanopterus

Anarhynchus asiaticus

Microparra capensis

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Terek Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Three-banded Courser

Rhinoptilus cinctus

Temminck's Courser

Cursorius temminckii

African Skimmer

Rynchops flavirostris

Ciconia abdimii

African Woolly-necked Stork

Ciconia microscelis

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Malagasy Pond Heron

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

African Cuckoo-Hawk

Aviceda cuculoides

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

White-headed Vulture

Trigonoceps occipitalis

Necrosyrtes monachus

Stephanoaetus coronatus

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Clanga pomarina

Wahlberg's Eagle

Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Ayres's Hawk-Eagle

Hieraaetus ayresii

Hieraaetus pennatus

Verreaux's Eagle

Aquila verreauxii

Dark Chanting Goshawk

Melierax metabates

Circus macrourus

African Marsh Harrier

Circus ranivorus

Grasshopper Buzzard

Butastur rufipennis

Western Barn Owl

Southern White-faced Owl

Ptilopsis granti

Spotted Eagle-Owl

Common Scimitarbill

Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

Southern Ground Hornbill

Bucorvus leadbeateri

Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Tockus flavirostris

Crowned Hornbill

Lophoceros alboterminatus

Trumpeter Hornbill

Bycanistes bucinator

Broad-billed Roller

Eurystomus glaucurus

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Halcyon albiventris

Striped Kingfisher

Halcyon chelicuti

Giant Kingfisher

Megaceryle maxima

Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater

Merops oreobates

White-throated Bee-eater

Merops albicollis

Olive Bee-eater

Merops superciliosus

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Red-fronted Barbet

Tricholaema diademata

Spot-flanked Barbet

Tricholaema lacrymosa

White-headed Barbet

Lybius leucocephalus

Brown-breasted Barbet

Pogonornis melanopterus

Brown-backed Honeybird

Prodotiscus regulus

Pallid Honeyguide

Indicator meliphilus

Lesser Honeyguide

Indicator minor

Scaly-throated Honeyguide

Indicator variegatus

Falco ardosiaceus

Falco amurensis

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Red-bellied Parrot

Poicephalus rufiventris

Brown-crowned Tchagra

Tchagra australis

Black-crowned Tchagra

Tchagra senegalus

Tropical Boubou

Laniarius major

White-crested Helmetshrike

Prionops plumatus

Black Cuckooshrike

Campephaga flava

Black-headed Oriole

Oriolus larvatus

African Golden Oriole

Oriolus auratus

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher

Trochocercus cyanomelas

Urolestes melanoleucus

Grey-backed Fiscal

Lanius excubitoroides

Lesser Grey Shrike

Isabelline Shrike

Lanius isabellinus

White-bellied Tit

Melaniparus albiventris

Red-throated Tit

Melaniparus fringillinus

Mouse-colored Penduline Tit

Anthoscopus musculus

Grey Penduline Tit

Anthoscopus caroli

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

Eremopterix leucotis

Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark

Eremopterix signatus

Pink-breasted Lark

Calendulauda poecilosterna

Fawn-colored Lark

Calendulauda africanoides

Sombre Greenbul

Andropadus importunus

Yellow-bellied Greenbul

Chlorocichla flaviventris

Northern Brownbul

Phyllastrephus strepitans

White-headed Saw-wing

Psalidoprocne albiceps

Red-throated Rock Martin

Ptyonoprogne rufigula

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Cecropis senegalensis

Phylloscopus trochilus

Lesser Swamp Warbler

Acrocephalus gracilirostris

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Acrocephalus palustris

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Upcher's Warbler

Hippolais languida

Olive-tree Warbler

Hippolais olivetorum

Little Rush Warbler

Bradypterus baboecala

Red-faced Cisticola

Cisticola erythrops

Rattling Cisticola

Cisticola chiniana

Croaking Cisticola

Cisticola natalensis

Desert Cisticola

Cisticola aridulus

Pectoral-patch Cisticola

Cisticola brunnescens

Red-fronted Prinia

Prinia rufifrons

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Green-backed Camaroptera

Camaroptera brachyura

Yellow-bellied Eremomela

Eremomela icteropygialis

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Curruca nisoria

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Zosterops flavilateralis

Scaly Chatterer

Arrow-marked Babbler

Turdoides jardineii

Northern Pied Babbler

Turdoides hypoleuca

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Golden-breasted Starling

Lamprotornis regius

Violet-backed Starling

Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Red-winged Starling

Onychognathus morio

Abyssinian Thrush

Turdus abyssinicus

Bare-eyed Thrush

Turdus tephronotus

Pale Flycatcher

Agricola pallidus

Ashy Flycatcher

Fraseria caerulescens

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

Melaenornis fischeri

Southern Black Flycatcher

Melaenornis pammelaina

Red-capped Robin-Chat

Cossypha natalensis

Cape Robin-Chat

Dessonornis caffer

White-throated Robin

Irania gutturalis

Thrush Nightingale

Luscinia luscinia

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Saxicola rubetra

Myrmecocichla aethiops

Oenanthe pleschanka

Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird

Anthreptes orientalis

Collared Sunbird

Hedydipna collaris

Amethyst Sunbird

Chalcomitra amethystina

Hunter's Sunbird

Chalcomitra hunteri

Nectarinia kilimensis

Golden-winged Sunbird

Drepanorhynchus reichenowi

Cinnyris mariquensis

Black-bellied Sunbird

Cinnyris nectarinioides

Variable Sunbird

Cinnyris venustus

Swahili Sparrow

Passer suahelicus

Black-capped Social Weaver

Pseudonigrita cabanisi

Thick-billed Weaver

Amblyospiza albifrons

Spectacled Weaver

Ploceus ocularis

Eastern Golden Weaver

Ploceus subaureus

Vitelline Masked Weaver

Ploceus vitellinus

Golden-backed Weaver

Ploceus jacksoni

Red-headed Weaver

Anaplectes rubriceps

Euplectes capensis

Red-cowled Widowbird

Euplectes laticauda

Bronze Mannikin

Spermestes cucullata

Black-and-white Mannikin

Spermestes bicolor

Ortygospiza atricollis

Orange-breasted Waxbill

Amandava subflava

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Uraeginthus bengalus

Straw-tailed Whydah

Long-tailed Paradise Whydah

Vidua paradisaea

Tmetothylacus tenellus

Anthus trivialis

Southern Citril

Crithagra hyposticta

Reichenow's Seedeater

Crithagra reichenowi

Southern Grosbeak-Canary

Crithagra buchanani

Yellow-crowned Canary

Serinus flavivertex

Emberiza poliopleura

Golden-breasted Bunting

Emberiza flaviventris

American Flamingo

Phoenicopterus ruber

Butorides striata

Ardea intermedia

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Melierax canorus

Southern Red-fronted Tinkerbird

Pogoniulus pusillus

African Grey Woodpecker

Dendropicos goertae

Fischer's Lovebird

Agapornis fischeri

Large Rock Martin

Ptyonoprogne fuligula

Rufous-winged Cisticola

Cisticola galactotes

Stout Cisticola

Cisticola robustus

Short-winged Cisticola

Cisticola brachypterus

Grey-capped Warbler

Cinnyris superbus

Ploceus capensis

Southern Masked Weaver

Ploceus velatus

Plain-backed Pipit

Anthus leucophrys

Brimstone Canary

Crithagra sulphurata

Acinonyx jubatus

African Savanna Elephant

Loxodonta africana

Giraffa tippelskirchi

Crocuta crocuta

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

Grant's Gazelle

Papio cynocephalus

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

Syncerus caffer

Aepyceros melampus

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

Litocranius walleri

Banded Mongoose

Common Dwarf Mongoose

Helogale parvula

Black-backed Jackal

Lupulella mesomelas

Phacochoerus africanus

Tragelaphus imberbis

Redunca redunca

Unstriped Ground Squirrel

Leptailurus serval

Tragelaphus oryx

African Golden Wolf

African Savanna Hare

Hairy Slit-faced Bat

Nycteris hispida

Yellow-winged False-vampire

Mellivora capensis

Otocyon megalotis

Egyptian Mongoose

Herpestes ichneumon

White-tailed Mongoose

Ichneumia albicauda

Genetta genetta

Civettictis civetta

Sylvicapra grimmia

Alcelaphus buselaphus

Procavia capensis

Lepus saxatilis

Northern Giraffe

Giraffa camelopardalis

Panthera pardus

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