Experience Tsavo East National Park
Wildlife Haven
Tsavo national park hosts a recorded number of 675 wildlife individuals with a huge population of lions which the park is famous for. Wildlife species found in Tsavo East national park include mammals and primates.
Mammals found in Tsavo East national park include elephants, leopards, cheetah, buffalos, black rhinos, gazelle, impala, aardwolf, Grevy’s and plain’s zebra, warthog, waterbucks, warthogs, civet, dik-dik, caracal, African wildcat, African hunting dog, duikers that is, eland, African dormouse, stripped and spotted hyena, tree hyrax, black-backed and side stripped jackal, lesser kadu, gazelles, small spotted genet, greater galago, bat-eared fox, African hare, species of mongoose such as banded mongoose, dwarf mongoose, Egyptian mongoose, marsh mongoose, slender mongoose and white-tailed mongooseand species of duikers such as bush duiker, red duiker and blue duiker among others.
Primates found in Tsavo East national park include Skye’s monkey and yellow baboon
Excellent Birding
If you are looking for a great bird habitat in Kenya, Tsavo East national park shouldn’t miss on top of your list, this park is recognized among the best destinations of Kenya birding safaris boosting over 500 bird species. Birds recorded to be living in Tsavo East national park include ostriches, kestrels, buzzards, starlings, weaver birds, kingfisher, hornbills, secretary birds, herons, eastern chanting- goshawk, eurocephalus, female eastern paradise, golden pipit, martial eagle, Rufous chatterer, slender-tailed nightjar, Somali bee-eater, Shelley’s starling, African finfoot, lesser kestrel and many more. These birds include resident bird species and migrant species, migrant species come from Europe and northern countries of Africa and they arrive in Tsavo East national park in the period of November to April.
Kenya's oldest and largest national park, Tsavo East's rugged volcanic landscape, is a haven for Kenya's northern and southern species. It is located halfway between Nairobi and Mombasa and is ideal for those who wish to combine their Safari with a beach Holiday.
Topography
Tsavo East National Park terrain varies between open plains, semi arid acacia scrub and woodlands. The most scenic section is along the Galana River which flows throughout the year and provides a corridor of lush greenery among a frequently harsh and arid landscape. At Lugard Falls the entire river disappears into a rocky grove so narrow that it is possible to stand astride the cleft with the Falls immediately below.
Tsavo is not a reserve to come and tick off large numbers of big game. Rather, it is about relaxing and enjoying the animals and birds in a true wilderness. Elephants in big herds are possibly the main attraction of the park with many converging on the rivers and waterholes to drink in the dry season. Many of these elephants are "red", and this unusual colour is created by taking dust baths in the brick-red earth. Lions are not uncommon and it is also a good park to see lesser kudu as well as buffalo, common waterbuck, eland, gerenuk, fringe-eared oryx, impala and Maasai giraffe.

Tsavo East Nationa Park forms part of the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of dust –red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodile, waterbucks, lesser Kudu, gerenuk and the prolific bird life features 500 recorded species. Tsavo East covers more than 13,700 km², making it nine times larger than the Maasai Mara. It has lovely scenery and its attractions include the Mudanda Rock and Yatta Plateau, the world's largest example of lava flow. The park is probably best known for its enormous herds of red elephants that dust themselves with the red-oxide soil so typical of Tsavo. Other species to be on the lookout for are the endemic desert warthog, hirola (also known as Hunter's hartebeest) and Peter's Gazelle. Apart from its teeming elephant population, another main attraction at Tsavo East is its sheer vastness. Even less developed than Tsavo West, the eastern sector feels far more remote and wild. Sometimes, it's possible to go on game drives all day without encountering another vehicle. Tsavo National Park makes a great addition onto any Kenyan safari itinerary.
Full List of Mammals found in Tsavo East
- Spectacled Elephant Shrew
- Blue or Sykes’ Monkey
- Striped Hyaena
- East African Hedgehog
- Yellow-bellied Bat
- Cheetah
- Giant White-toothed Shrew
- Lesser Ground Pangolin
- Caracal
- Rousette Fruit Bat
- Hunting Dog
- African Wild Cat
- Epauletted Fruit Bat
- Golden Jackal
- Serval
- Pale-bellied Fruit Bat
- Black-backed or Silver-backed
- Lion
- White-bellied Tomb Bat
- Jackal
- Leopard
- Hollow-faced Bat
- Side-striped Jackal
- Ant Bear
- False Vampire Bat
- Bat-eared Fox
- Tree Hyrax
- Yellow-winged Bat
- Zorilla
- Rock Hyrax
- Lander’s Horseshoe Bat
- Ratel or Honey Badger
- African Elephant
- Lesser Leaf-nosed Bat
- Clawless Otter
- Black Rhinoceros
- Giant Leaf-nosed Bat Recorded
- African Civet
- Grevy’s Zebra
- From Galana River
- Neumann’s or Small-spotted
- African Trident Bat Recorded
- Genet
- Burchell’s or Common Zebra
- From Kilaguni Lodge
- Bush or Large-spotted Genet
- Warthog
- Banana Bat or African
- African Palm Civet
- Masai Giraffe
- Pipistrelle
- Marsh Mongoose
- Coke’s Hartebeest or Kongoni
- Yellow-bellied Bat
- Dwarf Mongoose
- Hunter’s Hartebeest or Hirola
- Angola Free-tailed Bat
- Large Grey Mongoose
- White-bellied Free-tailed
- Bat
- Slender or Black-tipped Mongoose
- Red Duiker
- Flat-headed Free-tailed Bat
- White-tailed Mongoose
- Blue Duiker
- Greater Galago
- Banded Mongoose
- Bush Duiker
- Bush Baby
- Aard-wolf
- Klipspringer
- Black-faced Vervet Monkey
- Spotted Hyaena
- Suni
- Steinbok
- Bushbuck
- Unstriped Ground Squirrel
- Kirk’s Dik-dik
- Lesser Kudu
- Bush Squirrel
- Common Waterbuck
- Eland
- East African Red Squirrel
- Bohor Reedbuck
- African Buffalo
- Spring Hare
- Impala
- African Hare
- African Dormouse
- Grant’s Gazelle
- Cane Rat
- Giant Rat
- Gerenuk
- Porcupine
- Kenya Mole Rat
- Fringe-eared Oryx
- Striped Ground Squirrel
- Naked Mole Rat
Tsavo East has an impressive checklist of over 500 bird species. It has many dry-country specials which are easy to spot, including the magnificent golden-breasted starling, golden pipit and vulturine guineafowl. The park is also the southernmost stronghold for the Somali ostrich. The park’s huge area is a significant wintering ground for migrant species from Europe. Migrant birds are present from November to April.
- Abbot’s Starling Recorded
- Abdim’s Stork
- Abyssinian Hill Babbler Occurs
- Abyssinian Scimitar-bill
- African Black Duck Recorded
- African Black Kite
- African Cuckoo
- African Darter
- African Finfoot
- African Fire Finch
- African Fish Eagle
- African Golden Oriole
- African Goshawk
- African Hawk Eagle
- African Hobby Recorded from
- African Hoopoe
- African Jacana
- African Kestrel
- African Marsh Harrier Rare
- African Marsh Owl
- African Moustached Warbler
- African Penduline Tit
- African Pied Wagtail
- African Rock Martin
- African Sand Martin
- African Scops Owl
- African Snipe
- African Spoonbill Uncommon
- African Wood Owl
- along Tsavo and Galana Rivers
- Amethyst Sunbird
- amongst flocks of migrating
- an Barn Owl
- And March
- Angola Swallow
- Anteater Chat Chyulu Hills
- Arrow-marked Babbler
- as spring passage migrant
- Ashy Cisticola
- Ashy Flycatcher
- Augur Buzzard
- Avocet
- Ayres’ Hawk Eagle
- Banded Martin
- Banded Tit-warbler
- Bare-eyed Thrush
- Barred Owlet
- Barred Warbler
- Bat Hawk
- Bateleur
- Bearded Woodpecker
- Beautiful Sunbird
- Black and White Cuckoo
- Black Crake
- Black Cuckoo
- Black Cuckoo Shrike
- Black Heron Lake Jipe
- Black Rough-wing Swallow
- Black-backed Puff-back
- Black-bellied Bustard
- Black-breasted Apalis
- Black-breasted Glossy Starling
- Blackcap Bush Tchagra
- Blackcap Warbler
- Black-capped Social Weaver
- Black-cheeked Waxbill
- Black-chested Harrier Eagle
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Blackhead Plover
- Black-headed Heron
- Black-headed Oriole
- Black-headed Tchagra
- Black-necked Weaver
- Black-shouldered Kite
- Blacksmith Plover
- Black-throated Wattle-eye
- Black-winged Stilt
- Block-collared Barbet
- Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Blue-eared Glossy Starling
- Blue-headed Wagtail and races
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Boehm’s Spinetail Frequents
- Booted Eagle Rare winter
- Brimstone Canary
- Broad-billed Roller
- Bronze Mannikin
- Bronze-naped Pigeon
- Bronze-winged Courser
- Bronzy Sunbird
- Brown Harrier Eagle
- Brown Parrot
- Brown Woodland Warbler
- Brown-breasted Barbet
- Brown-headed Tchagra
- Brown-hooded Kingfisher
- Brown-throated Barbet
- Buffalo Weaver
- Buff-backed Heron or
- Buff-bellied Warbler
- Buff-crested Bustard
- Bunting
- Button Quail
- Cape Quail
- Capped Wheatear
- Cardinal Quelea
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Carmine Bee-eater
- Caspian Plover Winter visitor
- Cattle Egret
- Chestnut Sparrow
- Chestnut Weaver
- Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Chin-spot Flycatcher
- Cliff Chat
- Collared Sunbird
- Common Sandpiper
- Coqui Francolin
- Crested Francolin
- Croaking Cisticola
- Crombec
- Crowned Crane
- Crowned Hawk Eagle Occurs
- Crowned Hornbill
- Crowned Plover
- Cuckoo Falcon Uncommon
- Curlew Sandpiper
- curs in forest on Chyulu Hills
- Cut-throat
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Didric Cuckoo
- Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar
- Drongo
- Dusky Flycatcher
- Dusky Nightjar
- Dwarf Bittern
- Eastern Bearded Scrub Robin
- Eastern Double-collared
- Eastern Red-footed Falcon Very
- Egyptian Goose
- Egyptian Vulture
- Emerald Cuckoo
- Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
- Ethiopian Swallow
- European Bee-eater
- European Black Kite
- European Black Stork
- European Common Snipe
- European Common Wheatear
- European Corn Crake Passage
- European Cuckoo
- European Golden Oriole
- European Hobby Occurs mainly
- European Hoopoe
- European Kestrel
- European Marsh Harrier
- European Marsh Warbler
- European Nightingale
- European Nightjar
- European Pintail
- European Rock Thrush
- European Roller
- European Sand Martin
- European Sedge Warbler
- European Shoveler
- European Spotted Flycatcher
- European Swallow
- European Whinchat
- European White Wagtail
- European White-throat
- European Willow Warbler
- Fan-tailed Raven
- Fan-tailed Warbler
- Fan-tailed Widow-bird
- Fawn-coloured Lark
- Fire-fronted Bishop
- Fiscal Shrike
- Fischer’s Greenbul
- Fischer’s Sparrow Lark
- Fischer’s Starling
- Fischer’s Straw-tailed Whydah
- Flappet Lark
- Forest and in riverine forest
- forest near Voi
- Four-coloured Bush Shrike
- Freckled Nightjar
- Frequents open plains.
- from the Galana River
- from Tsavo and Athi Rivers
- Fulvous Tree Duck
- Gabar Goshawk
- Galana River
- Galena River, but not
- Garden Warbler
- Garganey Teal
- Giant Kingfisher
- Glossy Ibis Rare visitor
- Golden Palm Weaver
- Golden Pipit
- Golden Weaver
- Golden-breasted Bunting
- Golden-breasted Starling
- Golden-rumped Tinkerbird
- Golden-tailed Woodpecker
- Goliath Heron
- Grasshopper Buzzard Common
- Great Reed Warbler Uncom-
- Great Snipe
- Great Sparrow Hawk
- Great White Egret
- Greater Honeyguide
- Greater or White-eyed Kestrel
- Greater Swamp Warbler
- Great-spotted Cuckoo
- Green Pigeon
- Green Sandpiper
- Green Wood Hoopoe
- Green-backed Heron Occurs
- Greenshank
- Green-winged Pytilia
- Grey Cuckoo Shrike Chyulu
- Grey Flycatcher
- Grey Heron
- Grey Hornbill
- Grey Kestrel Uncommon
- Grey Tit
- Grey Woodpecker
- Grey Wren Warbler
- Grey-backed Camaroptera
- Grey-backed Fiscal
- Grey-capped Warbler
- Grey-headed Bush Shrike
- Grey-headed Kingfisher
- Grey-headed Silverbill
- Grey-headed Social Weaver
- Grey-rumped Swallow
- Grosbeak Weaver
- Ground Hornbill
- Hadada Ibis
- Half-collared Kingfisher Rare
- Hamerkop
- Harlequin Quail
- Harrier Hawk
- Hartlaub’s Bustard
- Hartlaub’s Turaco Occurs
- Helmeted Guinea-fowl
- Heuglin’s Courser
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Hills forest
- Holub’s Golden Weaver
- Honey Buzzard Uncommon
- Hooded Vulture
- Hottentot Teal
- Hunter’s Sunbird
- Indigo-bird
- Inhabits acacia trees near rivers
- Isabelline Wheatear
- Issabeline Wheatear
- Jackson’s Bustard Rare
- Jameson’s Fire Finch
- Kaffir Rail Rarely seen
- Kenya Crested Guinea-fowl
- Kenya Grosbeak Canary
- Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird
- Kittlitz’s Plover
- Klaas’ Cuckoo
- Knob-billed Duck
- Kori Bustard
- Lammergeyer Rare visitor
- Lanner
- Laughing Dove
- Layard’s Black-headed Weaver
- Lesser Grey Shrike
- Lesser Honeyguide
- Lesser Kestrel
- Lesser Kestrels in spring
- Lesser Spotted Eagle Rare
- Levaillant’s Cuckoo
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Little Bee-eater
- Little Bittern
- Little Egret
- Little Grebe
- Little Grey Flycatcher Re-
- Little Purple-banded Sunbird
- Little Ringed Plover
- Little Sparrow Hawk
- Little Stint
- Little Swift
- Lizard Buzzard
- Long-billed Pipit
- Long-crested Eagle
- Long-tailed Cormorant
- Long-tailed Fiscal
- Long-tailed Nightjar
- Madagascar Bee-eater
- Madagascar Squacco Heron
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Marabou Stork
- Mariqua Sunbird
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Martial Eagle
- Masai Ostrich
- Masked Weaver
- Migrant seldom seen
- mon passage migrant
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Moorhen
- Morning Warbler Frequents
- Mosque Swallow
- Mottled Swift
- Mottled-throated Spinetail
- Mourning Dove
- Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit
- Namaqua Dove
- Narina’s Trogon In Chyulu
- Near Galana River
- Nicator Occurs in acacia
- Night Heron
- north of Galana River
- north of the Galana River
- Northern Brownbul
- Northern Brubru
- Northern Pied Babbler
- Northern White-tailed Lark
- Nubian Nightjar
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Nyanza Swift
- Occur on rocky hills north of
- occurs along rivers
- Occurs in dry bush country
- occurs in forests and well-
- Olive Pigeon
- Olive Sunbird
- Olive Thrush
- Olive-tree Warbler
- On rivers
- On southern border
- Open-bill Stork
- Orange-bellied Parrot
- Osprey Rare visitor
- Ovampo Sparrow Hawk Un-
- Painted Snipe
- Pale Chanting Goshawk
- Pale Flycatcher
- Pallid Harrier
- Palm Swift
- palm Thickets
- Palm-nut Vulture
- Pangani Longclaw
- Paradise Flycatcher
- Paradise Whydah
- Parasitic Weaver
- Parrot-billed Sparrow
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Pectoral-patch Cisticola
- Pel’s Fishing Owl Not yet re-
- Peregrine Uncommon
- Peter’s Twin-spot Occurs in
- Pied Crow
- Pied Kingfisher
- Pied Wheatear
- Pink-backed Pelicans
- Pink-breasted Lark
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Plain Nightjar
- Pratincole
- Probably occurs at Lake Jipe
- Purple Grenadier
- Purple Heron Recorded from
- Pygmy Falcon
- Pygmy Goose Lake Jipe
- Pygmy Kingfisher
- Pygmy Puff-back Flycatcher
- Quail Finch
- Rare visitor
- Rare winter visitor
- Rattling Cisticola
- Recorded from Mzima Springs
- recorded in the Voi area
- Recorded near Voi
- Red and Yellow Barbet
- Red Bishop
- Red-backed Scrub Robin
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-billed Duck
- Red-billed Fire Finch
- Red-billed Hornbill
- Red-billed Oxpecker
- Red-billed Quelea
- Red-capped Lark
- Red-capped Robin Chat
- Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Red-collared Widow-bird
- Red-eyed Dove
- Red-faced Apalis
- Red-fronted Tinkerbird
- Red-headed Weaver
- Red-knobbed Coot Uncommon
- Red-naped Bush Shrike
- Red-necked Falcon Occurs
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Red-throated Pipit Uncommon
- Redwing Bush Lark
- Red-wing Starling
- Reichenow’s Weaver
- Retz’s Red-billed Shrike
- Richard’s Pipit
- Ringed Plover
- Ring-necked Dove
- River Warbler
- Robin Chat
- Rocky hills near Mtito Andei
- Rosy-breasted Longclaw Un-
- Rosy-patched Shrike
- Ruff
- Rufous Chatterer
- Rufous Sparrow
- Rufous-backed Mannikin
- Rufous-crowned Roller
- Ruppell’s Long-tailed Starling
- Ruppell’s Vulture
- Sacred Ibis
- Saddle-bill Stork
- Scaly Chatterer Occurs mainly
- Scaly Francolin Occurs on
- Scaly-throated Honeyguide
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Scimitar-bill
- Secretary Bird
- Senegal Hoopoe Occurs mainly
- Senegal Plover
- Shelley’s (Greywing) Francolin
- Shelley’s Starling
- Shikra
- Silverbill
- Silverbird
- Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
- Singing Bush Lark
- Singing Cisticola
- Slate-coloured Boubou
- slopes of hills
- Smaller Black-bellied Sunbird
- Somali Golden-breasted Bunting
- Somali Ostrich
- Sooty Falcon Recorded during
- South African Black Flycat
- Speckled Mousebird
- Speckled Pigeon
- Speckle-fronted Weaver
- Spectacled Weaver
- Spotted Eagle Owl
- Spotted Morning Warbler
- Spotted Stone Curlew
- Spotted-flanked Barbet
- spring passage migrant
- Spur-winged Goose
- Squacco Heron
- Steel-blue Whydah
- Steppe Buzzard Winter visitor
- Steppe Eagle
- Stone Partridge Reputed to
- Stonechat Chyulu Hills
- Stout Cisticola
- Straight-crested Helmet Shrike
- Streaky Seed-eater
- Striped Kingfisher
- Striped Pipit Frequents bushy
- Striped Swallow
- Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike
- Sun- bird Chyulu Hills forest
- Superb Starling
- Swahili Sparrow
- Swallow
- Taita Falcon Rare: has been
- Taita Fiscal
- Tambourine Dove
- Tawny Eagle
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Temminck’s Courser
- The Tsavo and Galana rivers
- Three-banded Plover
- Three-streaked Tchagra
- Thrush Nightingale or Sprosser
- Tiny Cisticola
- Tree Pipit
- Tropical Boubou
- Trumpeter Hornbill
- Tsavo River
- Two-banded Courser
- Uncommon
- uncommon: a few to be seen
- Variable Sunbird
- Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
- Verreaux’s Eagle Rare
- Vicinity of baobab trees.
- Violet Wood Hoopoe Recorded
- Violet-backed Starling
- Violet-breasted Sunbird
- Violet-crested Turaco Rare
- Vitelline Masked Weaver
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Vulturine Guinea-fowl
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Honeyguide
- Water Dikkop
- Wattled Starling
- Waxbill
- Well’s Wagtail Uncommon
- White Pelican
- White Stork
- White-backed Night Heron
- 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-eye Slaty Flycatcher
- White-faced Scops Owl
- White-faced Tree Duck
- White-headed Buffalo Weaver
- White-headed Mousebird
- White-headed Rough-wing
- White-naped Raven
- White-rumped Swift
- White-throated Bee-eater
- White-throated Robin Rare
- White-winged Scrub Robin
- White-winged Widow-bird
- Winding Cisticola
- winter visitor
- Winter visitor
- winter visitor and passage
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Wood Ibis
- Wood Sandpiper
- wooded areas
- Wooly-necked Stork
- Yellow Bishop
- Yellow Flycatcher
- Yellow White-eye
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela
- Yellow-bellied Waxbill
- Yellow-billed Duck
- Yellow-billed Egret
- Yellow-billed Hornbill
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
- Yellow-fronted Canary
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
- Yellow-rumped Seed-eater
- Yellow-spotted Petronia
- Yellow-throated Longclaw
- Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
- Zanzibar Red Bishop