Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary
Tsavo West NP now holds 18% of Kenya’s black rhinos, within the highly protected sanctuary.
Surrounding the Ngulia Sanctuary is the 3,000km2 IPZ that has been identified as representing the most viable area in Kenya to recover rhino numbers and help support the Kenya Government to achieve its vision of 2,000 individuals in the wild by 2050. Kenya remains one of the key strongholds for Eastern black rhino, making this population globally important. Every effort is required if we are to conserve this critically endangered species for the future.In an effort to support “rhino activities” in the Tsavo West NP rhino areas, Tsavo Trust has partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service by establishing a unique “Rhino Viewing Platform” at one of the main waterholes within the NRS. The aim being to offer visitors a rare and exclusive opportunity to view rhino close up with the backdrop of the prehistoric-looking Ngulia cliffs.
Ngulia is a rhino sanctuary in Kenya, home to about 80 black rhinos. Project Ngulia is a public-private partnership that aims at developing innovative cost-efficient technical solutions to assist the park rangers to monitor rhinos and combat poaching.

Experience Tsavo West National Park
Wildlife Highlights
Tsavo West is a real wilderness destination. All of the Big Five are present, but wildlife densities are lower than in some of the more popular parks in Kenya. However, there is a good variety of animals with many dry-country specials, including the shy lesser kudu and the rare fringe-eared oryx. Large elephant herds can be found gathering at the waterholes.
The park is one of the best places to see the skittish lesser kudu. The rocky terrain is also a good habitat to look for klipspringers, often found in pairs. Antelope that thrive in arid conditions can also be found here, including the very localized fringe-eared oryx and gerenuk. The drive-through rhino sanctuary increases your chances of spotting the elusive black rhino.
Excellent Birding
Tsavo West’s prolific birdlife features over 400-recorded species. Ngulia Hills, one of the landmarks in the park, is situated along one of the world’s busiest avian migration routes. Bird ringers make an annual pilgrimage here between October and January. Ngulia is the site of Africa’s foremost bird-ringing (tagging to enable individual bird identification) project. More than 100 migrant and resident species have been ringed here – the most prolific being marsh warbler, river warbler, red-backed shrike, thrush nightingale and common whitethroat.
Tsavo West National Park offers great bird watching in all seasons. Many of the more unusual specials are resident and can be spotted any time. Migratory birds, a real feature of the birding in the park, fill the trees, waterways and skies from November to April. Peak migration months are October and November. November and April are peak months for rainfall – good to keep in mind if birding is your primary interest here.
Tsavo West National Park habitat includes open plains and savannah bush, semi-desert scrub, acacia woodlands, numerous rocky ridges and outcrops and swathes of riverine vegetation. Toward the Chyulu Hills, the landscape is of recent volcanic origin with some spectacular lava flows.
Scenery
Tsavo West has a rugged, arid landscape. In contrast with the flat plains of Tsavo East, Tsavo West is marked by a number of rocky outcrops and volcanic hills. Shetani lava flows, just outside the park, make for a great excursion. On a fine day, the park offers lovely views of the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tsavo West National Park landscape is dominated by giant baobabs reputed to live a thousand years. After the rain, Tsavo West National Park is showered with white and pink ipomea and acacia trees of white and pink blossom. The desert rose, somewhat like a miniature baobab, has pink flowers of striking beauty at almost any time of the year.

Tsavo West together with its expansive Tsavo East neighbor form one of the largest national parks in the world. The park is home to the Big Five, but wildlife viewing can be a bit slow at times. There are, however, several landmarks worth visiting including recent lava flows and Mzima Springs with its underwater observation chamber for close-up views of hippos.
Tsavo West is a real wilderness destination. All of the Big Five are present, but wildlife densities are lower than in some of the more popular parks in Kenya. However, there is a good variety of animals with many dry-country specials, including the shy lesser kudu and the rare fringe-eared oryx. Large elephant herds can be found gathering at the waterholes.
Full List of Mammals found in Tsavo West
- 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 West’s prolific birdlife features over 400-recorded species. Ngulia Hills, one of the landmarks in the park, is situated along one of the world’s busiest avian migration routes. Bird ringers make an annual pilgrimage here between October and January. Ngulia is the site of Africa’s foremost bird-ringing (tagging to enable individual bird identification) project. More than 100 migrant and resident species have been ringed here – the most prolific being marsh warbler, river warbler, red-backed shrike, thrush nightingale and common whitethroat.
- 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