Explore the Serengeti Feathered Wonders: A Comprehensive Bird Checklist

Kori Bustard and Sandgrouse

The Kori Bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird, is a true icon of the Serengeti. Males can weigh up to 18 kilograms and are most often seen walking slowly through open grasslands, showcasing their mottled brown plumage.

Sandgrouse, perfectly adapted to arid conditions, include chestnut-bellied, yellow-throated, and black-faced species. They are fast fliers and often arrive at waterholes at dawn, creating one of the park’s most memorable sights.

Pigeons, Doves, and Guinea Fowl

Doves are a familiar and melodic presence, with species like rock pigeon, speckled pigeon, dusky turtle-dove, laughing dove, emerald-spotted wood-dove, tambourine dove, Namaqua dove, and African green pigeon frequently observed around camps, woodlands, and riverine areas.

Guinea fowl add a splash of vibrancy to the savannah. Helmeted guinea fowl are common and noisy, with speckled grey bodies and bright blue heads, while crested guinea fowl with black head plumes occur more locally in wooded areas.

Waterfowl and Wetland Birds

The Serengeti’s wetlands, seasonal pans, and rivers attract a rich diversity of water-associated birds. This group includes ducks, geese, and teal such as white-faced whistling-duck, fulvous whistling-duck, Egyptian goose, knob-billed duck, spur-winged goose, Cape teal, Hottentot teal, Eurasian wigeon (migrant), African pygmy-goose, red-billed duck, yellow-billed duck, northern pintail, southern pochard, and Maccoa duck.

Flamingos are another highlight of these habitats, with both greater and lesser flamingos creating breathtaking pink displays in areas such as the southern plains, the Ndutu region, the northern plains, and the Grumeti area. Grey-crowned cranes can also be spotted in seasonal wetlands and floodplains, particularly after the rains, adding elegance with their tall stature and striking crown.

Grebes, including little grebe, great crested grebe, and eared grebe, are specialised diving birds that propel themselves underwater with their feet while hunting in these waters.

Francolins and Quails

Francolins are Africa’s equivalent of pheasants and are plump, ground-dwelling birds that can be elusive. Serengeti species include harlequin quail, scaly francolin, Hildebrandt’s francolin, yellow-necked spurfowl, grey-breasted spurfowl, crested francolin, coqui francolin, red-winged francolin, and Shelley’s francolin. Early morning drives offer the best chance to spot them as they forage in grasslands and woodland edges.

Cuckoos

Cuckoos are more often heard than seen, with their distinctive calls echoing through the bush. The Serengeti hosts species such as red-chested cuckoo, black cuckoo, common cuckoo, African cuckoo, black coucal, white-browed coucal, pied cuckoo, Levaillant’s cuckoo, great spotted cuckoo, Klaas’s cuckoo, African emerald cuckoo, and Diderick cuckoo. They are particularly active during migration periods.

Storks

The Serengeti is home to eight stork species, including saddle-billed stork, African openbill, black stork, Abdim’s stork, woolly-necked stork, white stork, marabou stork, and yellow-billed stork. Wetlands and riverbanks provide excellent opportunities to observe these large, elegant birds.

Ostriches

The African ostrich, the world’s largest living bird, dominates the open savannah with its flightless stature. Males display striking black-and-white plumage, while females appear brownish-grey. Common across both the southern and northern plains, ostriches are often observed striding gracefully across grasslands or guarding nests containing enormous, football-sized eggs.