Experience Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Home of Safari
The Mara Game Reserve, as it was originally known, was established in 1961. Today, it’s one of the best-known wildlife areas in Africa, home to healthy big cat populations and an abundance of plains game, bolstered by the arrival of millions of wildebeest during the Great Migration. Visit at any time and you have a good chance of seeing lion, elephant, cheetah, Masai giraffe and buffalo, as well as varied birdlife, hippo and crocodiles along the rivers.
There’s a reason the Masai Mara National Reserve is so well known and popular with visitors. Point a camera and in one shot you might capture dazzles of zebra and a scattering of impala, wildebeest and gazelles, elephant marching in a line and lanky giraffe nibbling the acacia trees, all against a backdrop of distant hills and vast open plains.
The Mara Migration
Everything's big here: it’s a landscape of rolling plains and rounded hills, of groves of acacia woodland and dense thickets of scrub. The reserve is bisected by the Mara River and its tributaries, which are margined by lush riverine forest and the site of spectacular river crossings during the migration.
The reserve’s southern boundary is contiguous with Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, which shares the Great Migration herds. It has been developed on the lines of a national park, where, unlike in the bordering conservancies, human settlements are unable to intrude and game-viewing is restricted to game drives and horse riding safaris.
The annual Maasai Mara Game Reserve Wildebeest Migration trek takes place typically between July to end of August and involves dangerous crossings through crocodile-infested rivers. The 'Mara', as Masai Mara is also known, is among the best wildlife reserves not just in Kenya but also in Africa
Masai Mara now also comprises a number of conservancies and group ranches bordering the main reserve and is home to some of the most diverse species of African wildlife and is also the site of the annual Wildebeest migration, simply called the 'Great Migration'.
The Experience
Everything's big here: it’s a landscape of rolling plains and rounded hills, of groves of acacia woodland and dense thickets of scrub. The reserve is bisected by the Mara River and its tributaries, which are margined by lush riverine forest and the site of spectacular river crossings during the migration.
The reserve’s southern boundary is contiguous with Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, which shares the Great Migration herds. It has been developed on the lines of a national park, where, unlike in the bordering conservancies, human settlements are unable to intrude and game-viewing is restricted to game drives and horse riding safaris.

The Masai Mara is one of Africa’s most famous parks. The wildlife viewing is superb throughout the year. The grassy plains and regular rainfall supports a huge population of herbivores, in turn attracting many predators. All three big cats are relatively easy to see. The yearly wildebeest migration coming through the park is one of the world’s most amazing wildlife spectacles.
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is home to the annual wildebeest migration where 2.5 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelles follow the rains in search of new grass. They make their way from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara somewhere around July and August, and usually arrive in September. The crossing of the Mara River along the way is one of the highlights of this spectacular event. They slowly head back into Tanzania around October.
Full List of Mammals found in Maasai Mara Game Reserve
- Aard-wolf
- African Bufallo
- African Civet
- African Dormouse
- African Elephant
- African Hare
- African Palm Civet
- African Wild Cat
- Angola Free-tailed Bat
- Ant Bear
- approach the race robertsi with
- Banana Bat or African Pipi-
- Banded Mongoose
- Bat-eared Fox
- beeste
- Black and White Colobus
- Black Rhinoceros
- Black-backed or Siver-backed
- Black-faced Vervet Monkey
- Blue Duiker
- Blue or Sykes’ Monkey
- Bohor Reedbuck
- Burchell’s or Common Zebra
- Bush Baby
- Bush Duiker
- Bush or Large-spotted Genet
- Bush Pig
- Bush Squirrel
- Bushbuck
- Cane Rat
- Cheetah
- Clawless Otter
- Coke’s Hartebeest or Kongoni
- Defassa Waterbuck
- Dwarf Mongoose
- East African Hedgehog
- Eland
- Epauletted Fruit Bat
- False Vampire Bat
- Genet
- Giant Forest Hog
- Giant Forest Squirrel
- Giant White-toothed Shrew
- Golden Jackal
- Grant’s Gazelle Some examples
- Greater Galago
- Hippopotamus
- Hollow-faced Bat
- Hunting Dog
- Impala
- Jackal
- Kenya Mole Rat
- Kirk’s Dik-Dik
- Klipspringer
- Lander’s Horseshoe Bat
- Large Grey Mongoose
- Leopard
- Lesser Ground Pangolin
- Lesser Leaf-nosed Bat
- Lion
- Marsh Mongoose
- Masai Giraffe
- Mongoose
- Monkey
- Neumann’s or Small-spotted
- Olive Baboon
- Oribi
- outward growing horns
- Pale-bellied Fruit Bat
- Patas Monkey
- Porcupine
- Ratel or Honey Badger
- Red Duiker
- Red-tailed or White-nosed
- Roan Antelope
- Rock Hyrax
- Rousette Fruit Bat
- Serval Cat
- Side-stripped jackal
- Slender or Black-tipped
- Spectacled Elephant Shrew
- Spotted Hyaena
- Spring Hare
- Steinbok
- Straw-coloured Fruit Bat
- strelle
- Striped Ground Squirrel
- Stripped Hyaena
- Suni
- Thompson’s Gazelle
- Topi
- Tree Hyrax
- Unstriped Ground Squirrel
- Warthog
- White-bearded Gnu or Wilde-
- White-bellied Free-tailed Bat
- White-tailed Mongoose
- Yellow-bellied Bat
- Yellow-winged Bat
- Zorilla
The Masai Mara isn’t one of Kenya’s birding hotspots. However, with more than 500 bird species recorded, this isn’t a bad place to mark off a lot of Kenya’s savannah species from your bird list. The park is particularly rich in raptors with 57 species present. Bateleurs can often be seen soaring above the grassy plains and predator kills are a good place to find up to six species of vultures scavenging. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
- Abdim’s Stork
- Abyssinian Scimitar-bill
- African Black Duck
- African Black Kite
- African Broadbir
- African Crake
- African Cuckoo
- African Darter
- African Finfoot
- African Fire Finch
- African Fish Eagle
- African Golden Oriole
- African Goshawk
- African Hawk Eagle
- African Hobby Rare
- African Hoopoe
- African Jacana
- African Marsh Harrier
- African Marsh Owl
- African Penduline Tit
- African Pied Wagtail
- African Rock Martin
- African Sand Martin
- African Scops Owl
- African Snipe
- African Thrush
- African Wood Owl
- along Mara River
- Amethyst Sunbird
- Angola Swallow
- Anteater Chat
- Arrow-marked Babbler
- Ashy Flycatcher
- Augur Buzzard
- Banded Harrier Eagle One
- Banded Martin
- Banded Tit-warbler
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird
- Bat Hawk
- Bateleur
- Bearded Woodpecker
- Birds often attracted by knockin
- Black and White Cuckoo
- Black and White Mannikin
- Black and White-casqued
- Black Crake
- Black Cuckoo
- Black Cuckoo Shrike
- Black Flycatcher
- Black Rough-wing Swallow
- Black-bellied Bustard Rarer
- Black-billed Barbet Uncommon
- Black-billed Weaver Un-
- Black-breasted Apalis
- Blackcap Bush Shrike
- Blackcap Warbler
- Black-chested Harrier Eagle
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Black-headed Gonolek
- Black-headed Heron
- Black-headed Oriole
- Black-headed Puff-back
- Black-headed Tchagra
- Black-headed Weaver
- Black-lored Babbler
- Black-necked Weaver
- Black-shouldered Kite
- Blacksmith Plover
- Black-winged Bishop
- Black-winged Plover Uncom-
- Black-winged Stilt
- Blue Quail
- Blue Swallow
- Blue-breasted Bee-eater
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Blue-eared Glossy Starling
- Blue-headed Coucal
- Blue-headed Wagtail and races
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Boehm’s Spinetail
- Brimstone Canary
- Bristle-bill In riverine forest
- Broad-billed Roller
- Bronze Mannikin
- Bronze-winged Courser
- Bronzy Sunbird
- Brown Harrier Eagle
- Brown Parrot
- Brown throated Barbet
- Brown Tit-warbler
- Brown-backed Woodpecker
- Brown-chested Wattled Plover
- Brown-headed Tchagra
- Brown-hooded Kingfisher
- Buffalo Weaver
- Buff-backed Heron or Cattle
- Buff-bellied Warbler
- Button Quail
- Cape Quail
- Cape Rook
- Cardinal Quelea
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Caspian Plover Numbers vary
- Cassin’s Honeyguide Inhabits
- Chestnut Sparrow
- Chestnut Weaver
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Chin-spot Flycatcher
- Cinnamon-breasted
- Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
- Collared Sunbird
- common in riverine forest
- Common Sandpiper
- Coqui Francolin
- Crested Francolin
- Crested Guinea-fowl
- Crimson-rumped Waxbill
- Crombec
- Crowned Crane
- Crowned Hawk-eagle
- Crowned Hornbill
- Crowned Plover
- Cuckoo Falcon
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Dark Chanting Goshawk
- Didric Cuckoo
- Double-toothed Barbet
- Drongo
- Dusky Flycatcher
- Dusky Nightjar
- Eastern Grey Plaintain-eater
- Egret
- Egyptian Goose
- Egyptian Vulture
- Emerald Cuckoo
- Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
- European Bee-eater
- European Black Kite
- European Black Stork
- European Common Snipe
- European Common Wheatear
- European Corn Crake
- European Cuckoo
- European Golden Oriole
- European Grey Wagtail
- European Hobby
- European Hoopoe
- European House Martin
- European Kestrel
- European Marsh Harrier
- European Nightingale
- European Nightjar
- European Rock Thrush
- European Roller
- European Sand Martin
- European Sedge Warbler
- European Spotted Flycatcher
- European Swallow
- European Whinchat
- European Whitethroat
- European Willow Warbler
- every few records
- Fan-tailed Warbler
- Fan-tailed Widow-bird
- Fawn-coloured Lark
- Fiscal Shrike
- Fischer’s Greenbul
- Fischer’s Sparrow Lark
- Flappet Lark
- Forested areas
- found in euphorbia trees
- Freckled Nightjar Fr
- from year to year. Sometimes
- Gabar Goshawk
- Gaboon Nightjar
- Garden Warbler
- Garganey Teal
- Giant Kingfisher
- Golden-breasted Bunting
- Great Snipe
- Great Sparrow Hawk
- Greater Honeyguide Common.
- Greater or White-eyed Kestre
- Great-spotted Cuckoo
- Green Coucal or Yellowibill
- Green Pigeon
- Green Sandpiper Found on
- Green Wood Hoopoe
- Green-backed Heron
- Green-backed Twin-spot
- Green-headed Sunbird
- Green-winged Pytilia
- Grey Cuckoo Shrike
- Grey Flycatcher
- Grey Hornbill
- Grey Kestrel
- Grey Tit
- Grey Woodpecker
- Grey-backed Camaroptera
- Grey-backed Fiscal
- Grey-capped Warbler
- Grey-crested Helmet Shrike
- Grey-headed Bush Shrike
- Grey-headed Kingfisher
- Grey-headed Negro Finch
- Grey-headed Silverbill
- Grey-headed Social Weaver
- Grey-headed Sparrow
- Grey-rumped Swallow
- Grey-throated Barbet
- Gross-beak Weaver
- Ground Hornbill
- Hadada Ibis
- Hamerkop
- Harlequin Quail
- Harrier Hawk
- Hartlaub’s Bustard
- Helmeted Guinea-fowl
- Heuglin’s Courser
- Hildebrandt’s Francolin
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Holub’s Golden Weaver
- Honey Buzzard
- Hooded Vulture
- Hornbill
- Hottentot Teal
- in bush country
- Indigo-bird
- Issabelline Wheatear
- Jackson’s Bustard
- Jackson’s Widow-bird
- Kittlitz Plover
- Klaas’ Cuckoo
- Knob-billed Duck
- Kori Bustard
- Lammergeyer Rare visitor
- Lanner
- Laughing Dove
- Lemon-rumped Tinkerbird
- Lesser Grey Shrike
- Lesser Honeyguide
- Lesser Kestrel
- Levaillant’s Cuckoo
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Little Bee-eater
- Little Egret
- Little Grebe
- Little Purple-banded Sunbird
- Little Ringed Plover Uncom-
- Little Sparrow Hawk
- Little Swift
- Little Weaver
- Lives in creeper festooned
- Lizard Buzzard
- Long-billed Pipit
- Long-crested Eagle
- Long-tailed Cormorant
- Long-tailed Fiscal
- Long-tailed Nightjar
- Madagascar Bee-eater
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Marabou Stork
- Mariqua Sunbird
- Martial Eagle
- Masai Ostrich
- Masked Weaver
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Mottled Swift
- Mountain Wagtail
- Mourning Dove
- Moustached Warbler
- Namaqua Dove
- Narina’s Trogon
- Night Heron
- Northern Brubru
- Northern Pied Babbler
- Northern White-tailed Lark
- Nubian or Lappet-faced Vulture
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Olive Pigeon
- Olive Sunbird
- open plains
- Open-bill Stork Uncommon
- Osprey Rare
- Ovampo Sparrow Hawk
- Painted Snipe
- Pale Chanting Goshawk
- Pale Flycatcher
- Pallid Harrier
- Palm Swift
- Pangani Longclaw
- Paradise Flycatcher
- Paradise Whydah
- Parasitic Weaver Rare:
- passage migrants
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Pectoral-patch Cisticola
- Pel’s Fishing Owl
- Peregrine
- Pied Crow
- Pied Kingfisher
- Pied Wheatear
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Plain Nightjar
- Plain-backed Pipit
- plains
- Pratincole
- Puff-back Shrike
- Purple Grenadier
- Pygmy Falcon
- Pygmy Kingfisher
- Quail Finch
- Rare White-rumped Swift
- Rattling Cisticola
- Red and Yellow Barbet
- Red Bishop
- Red –eyed Dove
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-billed Duck
- Red-billed Fire Finch
- Red-billed Hornbill
- Red-billed Oxpecker
- Red-billed Quelea
- Red-breasted Wryneck
- Red-capped Lark
- Red-capped Robin Chat
- Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Red-eyed Dove
- Red-faced Crombec
- Red-fronted Barbet Inhabits
- Red-fronted Tinkerbird
- Red-headed Quelea
- Red-headed Weaver
- Red-naped Widow-bird
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Red-tailed Chater
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Red-throated Pipit
- Red-throated Tit
- Redwing Bush Lark
- Reichenow’s Weaver
- Reserve
- Richard’s Pipit
- Ring-necked Dove
- River
- Robin Chat
- Rock Bunting
- Rocky outcrops
- Ross’s Turaco Recorded in
- Rosy-breasted Longclaw
- Rosy-patched Shrike
- Ruff
- Rufous Chatterer
- Rufous Sparrow
- Rufous-crowned Roller
- Rufous-naped Lark
- Ruppel’s Long-tailed Starling
- Ruppell’s Vulture
- Sacred Ibis
- Saddle-bill Stork
- Scaly Francolin Forest
- Scaly-throated Honeyguide
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Schalow’s Turaco Not
- Schalow’s Wheatear
- Scimitar-bill
- Secretary Bird
- Senegal Coucal In western
- Senegal Plover
- Shelley’s (Grey-wing) Francolin
- Shikra
- Silverbill
- Silverbird
- Singing Bush Lark
- Singing Cisticola
- Slate-coloured Boubou
- Speckled Mousebird
- Speckled Pigeon
- Speckled-fronted Weaver
- Spectacled Weaver
- Spotted Eagle Owl
- Spotted Morning Warbler
- Spotted Stone Curlew
- Spotted-flanked Barbet
- Sprosser
- Spur-winged Goose
- Squacco Heron
- Steppe Buzzard
- Steppe Eagle
- Stork
- Stout Cisticola
- Straight-crested Helmet Shrike
- Streaky Seed-eater
- Striped Kingfisher
- Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike
- Superb Starling
- Swallow
- Tambourine Dove
- Tawny Eagle
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Temminck’s Courser
- Than Hartlaub’s Bustard
- Three-banded Plover
- tree in riverine forest
- Tree Pipit
- Tropical Boubou
- Two-banded Courser
- Variable Sunbird
- Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
- Vieillot’s Black Weaver
- Violet-backed Starling
- Vitteline Masked Weaver
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Honeyguide Inhabits
- Water Dikkop Occurs
- Wattled Plover
- Wattled Starling
- Wattle-eye Flycatcher
- Well’s Wagtail
- White Stork
- White-backed Vulture
- White-bellied Bustard
- White-bellied Canary
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
- White-breasted Tit
- White-browed Coucal
- White-browed Robin Chat
- White-browed Sparrow Weaver
- White-crowned Shrike
- White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
- White-faced Scops Owl
- White-fronted Bee-eater
- White-headed Barbet
- White-headed Buffalo Weaver
- White-headed Rough-wing
- White-headed Vulture
- White-naped Raven
- White-spotted Pygmy Crake
- White-tailed Nightja
- White-throated Bee-eater
- White-winged Scrub Robin
- White-winged Widow-bird
- Winding Cisticola
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Wood Ibis or Yellow-billed
- Wood Sandpiper
- Woodland Kingfisher
- Wooly-necked Stork Rare
- Yellow Bishop
- Yellow White-eye
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela
- Yellow-bellied Waxbill
- Yellow-billed Barbet In forest
- Yellow-billed Egret
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
- Yellow-fronted Canary
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
- Yellow-rumped Seed-eater
- Yellow-spotted Barbet
- Yellow-spotted Petronia
- Yellow-throated Longclaw
- Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Yellow-whiskered Greenbul