Many guests arrive for the lions and leave talking about a bird. It usually starts with a flash of lilac and turquoise on a dead branch, and a guide who quietly says, ‘Look left.’
The Serengeti is home to more than 500 bird species. Woodland, grassland, rivers and rocky kopjes all sit close together in Central Serengeti, so the variety is remarkable even if you have never owned a pair of binoculars.
Five birds everyone notices
- Lilac-breasted roller — impossibly colourful, often perched in the open.
- Secretary bird — long legs, a crest of quills, and a habit of stamping on snakes.
- Kori bustard — one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
- Grey crowned crane — elegant, golden-crowned and often in pairs.
- Common ostrich — the world’s largest bird, striding across the plains.
Found almost nowhere else
A few species live only in this corner of East Africa, including the grey-breasted spurfowl, Fischer’s lovebird and the rufous-tailed weaver. Ask your guide — they love finding them.
When to go birding
Birds are present all year. The green season, from around November to April, adds migrant species and breeding plumage, and the landscape is at its most colourful.
Birding at Escape
Guided birdwatching is part of the quiet midday hours at camp — see a day at Escape. Bring binoculars; you will use them constantly.
Questions & answers
How many bird species are in the Serengeti?
More than 500 species have been recorded in the Serengeti.
When is the best time for birding?
Birds are present all year; the green season adds migrants and breeding plumage.
