MASAI MARA
KENYA
LOCALE
| Area (ha): | 664,000 |
| Altitude (m): | 1500-2170 |
| # Species: | 588 |
| # Excl Vagrants: | 588 |
| # Endemics: | 0 |
| # Near Endemics: | 10 |
| Species/100 ha: | 0.1 |
| Habitat: Grassland, riverine forest, acacia woodland, swamp, escarpments, thickets, scrub | |
ABOUT THE BIRDING
Masai Mara is an extension of the Serengeti National Park into southwestern Kenya. It is part of a vast savanna and is perhaps the best known of all safari destinations in Kenya. Vast herds of wildebeest migrate from Tanzania into Masai Mara, usually in July but recently as early as late June. The spectacle of the wildebeest herds crossing the Mara River is best seen in July or early August, which is dry season and not the best time for birding. The wildebeest herds typically return to Tanzania in October or early November. Masai Mara is a great place to view wildlife, including all the big cats (lion, leopard, and cheetah), but is also good for birding, especially during the short rains of November and after the long rains of April-May in June. During rainy season parts of Masai Mara become impassible because the soil turns into "black cotton" mud. Masai Mara is a game reserve, protected from hunters by game wardens patrolling the reserve, but it is part of Masai lands and is owned by the Masai people. Tourists must be back at their lodges by 6:00pm and night safaris are not allowed. The Masai people live outside reserve boundaries, where some villages allow tourists to visit and where the Masai herd cows.
LOCATION OF SITE
Masai Mara is located on the Kenya-Tanzania border in southwestern Kenya.