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Kenya Kenya Ramsar wetland

Tana River Delta Ramsar Site

133 bird species recorded; the most in February.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec130at the peak
Species recorded in each month · tap a month

Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30

This month here

18 species in January.

The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.

Pied Kingfisher
Pied KingfisherCeryle rudisWinter visitorCharles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0
Eurasian Whimbrel
Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorAndreas Trepte · CC BY-SA 2.5
Common Bulbul
Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatusSummer visitorDidier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0
Little Egret
Little EgretEgretta garzettaSummer visitorBirdman1 · CC BY 2.5
Water Dikkop
Water DikkopBurhinus vermiculatusSummer visitorGreg Miles from Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0
Malachite Kingfisher
Malachite KingfisherCorythornis cristatusPassage migrantHans Hillewaert Crop: Osado · CC BY-SA 3.0
White-browed Robin-chat
White-browed Robin-chatCossypha heugliniSummer visitorflowcomm · CC BY 2.0
Mangrove Kingfisher
Mangrove KingfisherHalcyon senegaloidesSummer visitorSteve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Brown-breasted Barbet
Brown-breasted BarbetLybius melanopterusSummer visitorHobbyfotowiki · CC0
Great White Egret
Great White EgretArdea albaSummer visitorCalibas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Curlew SandpiperVU
Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaSummer visitorJJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Goliath Heron
Goliath HeronArdea goliathSummer visitorHans Hillewaert · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common Sandpiper
Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucosResidentChristoph Müller · CC BY-SA 4.0
African Fish Eagle
African Fish EagleHaliaeetus vociferResidentUnknown author · Public domain
  • Resident all year
  • Summer visitor comes to breed
  • Winter visitor comes for the winter
  • Passage migrant in spring and autumn

In numbers

133 species, counted.

52out of 100

Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).

  • 133Speciesrecorded more than once
  • 26Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
  • 2ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
  • 904Recordsopen records within 6 km
  • 7Raptors
  • 20Waders
  • 10Gulls & seabirds
  • 2Ducks & geese
  • 13Herons, ibises & grebes
  • 3Storks & cranes
  • 50Songbirds
  • 28Other birds

From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.

The checklist

All 133 species.

By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.

Raptors7 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • African Fish EagleHaliaeetus vocifer
  • OspreyPandion haliaetus
  • Black KiteMilvus migrans
  • Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
  • Western Marsh HarrierCircus aeruginosus
  • Red-headed FalconFalco chicqueraNT
  • Yellow-billed KiteMilvus aegyptius
Waders20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
  • Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
  • Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
  • Terek SandpiperXenus cinereus
  • Greater Sand PloverCharadrius leschenaultii
  • Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
  • Water DikkopBurhinus vermiculatus
  • SanderlingCalidris alba
  • Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
  • Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferrugineaVU
  • Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
  • Spur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosus
  • White-fronted PloverCharadrius marginatus
  • Caspian PloverCharadrius asiaticus
  • Collared PratincoleGlareola pratincola
  • Wood SandpiperTringa glareola
  • Marsh SandpiperTringa stagnatilis
  • Lesser Black-winged PloverVanellus lugubris
  • Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
  • Charadrius mongolusCharadrius mongolus
Gulls & seabirds10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
  • Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
  • Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensis
  • Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
  • Sooty GullIchthyaetus hemprichii
  • Great Crested-TernThalasseus bergii
  • Common TernSterna hirundo
  • Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
  • Little TernSternula albifrons
  • Saunders's TernSternula saundersi
Ducks & geese2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
  • Knob-billed DuckSarkidiornis melanotos
Herons, ibises & grebes13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Little EgretEgretta garzetta
  • HadadaBostrychia hagedash
  • Great White EgretArdea alba
  • African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicus
  • Striated HeronButorides striata
  • Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
  • Goliath HeronArdea goliath
  • Grey HeronArdea cinerea
  • Dimorphic EgretEgretta dimorpha
  • Long-tailed CormorantMicrocarbo africanus
  • Great White PelicanPelecanus onocrotalus
  • Egretta intermediaEgretta intermedia
  • Squacco HeronArdeola ralloides
Storks & cranes3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Yellow-billed StorkMycteria ibis
  • Openbill StorkAnastomus lamelligerus
  • African Woolly-necked StorkCiconia microscelis
Songbirds50 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Southern PuffbackDryoscopus cubla
  • Fork-tailed DrongoDicrurus adsimilis
  • Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
  • Sombre GreenbulAndropadus importunus
  • Black-bellied StarlingNotopholia corrusca
  • Barn swallowHirundo rustica
  • Amethyst SunbirdChalcomitra amethystina
  • Black-headed OrioleOriolus larvatus
  • African Paradise-FlycatcherTerpsiphone viridis
  • White-browed Robin-chatCossypha heuglini
  • Olive SunbirdCyanomitra olivacea
  • Grey SunbirdCyanomitra veroxii
  • Collared SunbirdHedydipna collaris
  • Erythropygia quadrivirgataErythropygia quadrivirgata
  • Scaly BabblerTurdoides squamulata
  • Sand MartinRiparia riparia
  • African PipitAnthus cinnamomeus
  • Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striata
  • Rüppell's StarlingLamprotornis purpuroptera
  • Northern BrownbulPhyllastrephus strepitans
  • Lesser Masked WeaverPloceus intermedius
  • Black-necked WeaverPloceus nigricollis
  • Village WeaverPloceus cucullatus
  • Rufous-tailed Scrub RobinErythropygia galactotes
  • Yellow-fronted CanaryCrithagra mozambica
  • Grey-headed BushshrikeMalaconotus blanchoti
  • Pale FlycatcherBradornis pallidus
  • Spotted Morning-thrushCichladusa guttata
  • Long-tailed FiscalLanius cabanisi
  • Northern CrombecSylvietta brachyura
  • Black-headed batisBatis minor
  • Green-backed CamaropteraCamaroptera brachyura
  • Reichenow's SeedeaterCrithagra reichenowi
  • Black-crowned TchagraTchagra senegalus
  • Eastern NicatorNicator gularis
  • Eurasian Golden OrioleOriolus oriolus
  • Thrush NightingaleLuscinia luscinia
  • Tawny-flanked PriniaPrinia subflava
  • White-crowned ShrikeEurocephalus anguitimens
  • Sedge WarblerAcrocephalus schoenobaenus
  • Eastern Golden WeaverPloceus subaureus
  • Spectacled WeaverPloceus ocularis
  • Dark-backed WeaverPloceus bicolor
  • Red-billed Buffalo-weaverBubalornis niger
  • Ethiopian SwallowHirundo aethiopica
  • Parrot-billed SparrowPasser gongonensis
  • Golden-breasted StarlingLamprotornis regius
  • Coastal CisticolaCisticola haematocephalus
  • Motacilla aguimpMotacilla aguimp
  • Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
Other birds28 species
JFMAMJJASOND
  • Pied KingfisherCeryle rudis
  • African Palm SwiftCypsiurus parvus
  • Emerald-spotted DoveTurtur chalcospilos
  • Red-eyed DoveStreptopelia semitorquata
  • Grey-headed KingfisherHalcyon leucocephala
  • Ortygornis sephaenaOrtygornis sephaena
  • Blue-naped MousebirdUrocolius macrourus
  • Northern Carmine Bee-eaterMerops nubicus
  • Malachite KingfisherCorythornis cristatus
  • Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterMerops persicus
  • Nubian WoodpeckerCampethera nubica
  • Mangrove KingfisherHalcyon senegaloides
  • White-browed CoucalCentropus superciliosus
  • Brown-breasted BarbetLybius melanopterus
  • Speckled MousebirdColius striatus
  • Ring-necked DoveStreptopelia capicola
  • Whistling YellowbillCeuthmochares australis
  • Olive Bee-eaterMerops superciliosus
  • White-throated Bee-eaterMerops albicollis
  • Klaas's CuckooChrysococcyx klaas
  • Diederik CuckooChrysococcyx caprius
  • Slender-tailed NightjarCaprimulgus clarus
  • Vulturine GuineafowlAcryllium vulturinum
  • Lilac-breasted RollerCoracias caudatus
  • Red-fronted TinkerbirdPogoniulus pusillus
  • African Green-pigeonTreron calvus
  • Common Scimitar-billRhinopomastus cyanomelas
  • Tambourine DoveTurtur tympanistria

Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.

When to go

The most species in February.

Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.

  1. Jan1831°/25°12 mm
  2. Feb13031°/25°4 mm
  3. Mar332°/26°28 mm
  4. Apr031°/27°118 mm
  5. May029°/26°230 mm
  6. Jun328°/25°99 mm
  7. Jul6127°/24°51 mm
  8. Aug127°/24°33 mm
  9. Sep3128°/24°36 mm
  10. Oct2329°/25°88 mm
  11. Nov030°/25°98 mm
  12. Dec831°/25°56 mm
  • Bar: species recorded that month.
  • Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: monthly total.

The place

Tana River Delta Ramsar Site.

Wetland in Kenya

Tana River Delta Ramsar Site is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Kenya.

133 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 904 open records.

The most recorded are the Common Sandpiper, the Pied Kingfisher and the African Fish Eagle.

15 species come for the summer, 7 for the winter and 4 only pass through.

2 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover and Curlew Sandpiper.

The most species are recorded in February.

Tana River Delta Ramsar Site seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data), CC BY 4.0, with relief shading from Copernicus WorldDEM-30

Get there and watch

Plan the visit

A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.

Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.

From above

The place and its surroundings.

The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.

Tana River Delta Ramsar Site seen from above (Sentinel-2)
Seen from above: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 (EOX, CC BY 4.0), 6 × 6 km, north up. Points © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Around, in OpenStreetMap

  • 1viewpoints within 5 kmDelta Dunes Car Park
  • 1places to stay within 10 kmDelta Dunes Lodge
  • bird hides within 6 km
  • observation towers within 6 km
  • marked trails within 4 km
  • visitor centres within 6 km
  • car parks within 3 km
  • restaurants and cafés within 3 km
  • campsites within 10 km

Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.

In our other atlases

Around Tana River Delta Ramsar Site.

The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.

Peakyas1 mountains within 25 km
Mlima Kitanga Tangani · 5.6 km

Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.

Where these figures come from

Name and typeWikidata (Q16901144) · CC0
Birds904 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
See these recordsgbif.org
SpeciesGBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons
AltitudeCopernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA
Temperature and rainNASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2)
What is around© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Sister atlasesPeakyas

Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.

The family

Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?

Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.