Kenya Bird Map

a member of the African Bird Atlas Project

A species' distribution is the most fundamental information needed in order to conserve it. Almost 30 years ago bird records were collected across Kenya that resulted in the book, A Bird Atlas of Kenya, that mapped and described the status of all the 1,065 species of birds then recorded in the country. Since then much has changed in terms of habitats and climatic conditions in Kenya and as a result the distributions and status of many of our birds have also dramatically changed – but we don’t know how or to what extent!

The Kenya Bird Map project aims to map the current distribution of all of Kenya’s bird species and describe their status with the help of valued input from Citizen Scientists – volunteer members of the public who are keen to contribute through going birding and submitting their observations to the project. By pooling the efforts of many Citizen Scientist birders, Kenya Bird Map will tell the story of changing bird distributions and abundance - and in so doing provide a powerful tool for conservation. If you are at all interested in watching birds, have any concern in conserving Kenya’s diverse bird life and enjoy being outside and exploring new places, then the Kenya Bird Map project is for you!

Discover how citizen scientists have played a crucial role in shaping the Kenya Bird Trends website, an online platform that analyzes and visualizes valuable data collected by dedicated bird enthusiasts like you! creating trends in species distribution over time. Participate in the Kenya Bird Map Project to contribute to vital research on Kenya's avian populations.

It is an exciting and stimulating project that combines a lot of excellent birding, exploring new and fascinating parts of the country, state-of-the-art technology and communication and serious science to produce dependable results that can be used to take real action for conservation.

Click on the 'Coverage Map' link to see a map of Kenya showing how much of the country has been covered so far. The 'Species summaries' option in the menu allows you to select any species to see its current distribution according to what data has been received so far.

To register and receive your observer number and login details, click the 'Register' button in the main menu above. Your login details will also allow you access to the other Virtual Museum for Africa sites.

There is also an active Facebook Group - please find us, follow us and join in.

We also share updates, tips and information relating to the project on our Kenya Bird Map Blog.

Kenya Bird Map is a joint initiative of the National Museums of Kenya, A Rocha Kenya, Tropical Biology Association and Nature Kenya, implemented as a project of the Bird Committee of the East Africa Natural History Society. The FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology of the University of Cape Town is an implementing partner providing all of the technical support.

The project has been made possible through funding received from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013/ under REA grant agreement n° 317184, the Natural History Museum of Denmark and the National Research Fund.

This material reflects only the authors’ views and the Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.