Kenya Bird Map

The Kenya Bird Map project is an exciting new project that is a joint initiative by A Rocha Kenya together with National Museums of Kenya, Tropical Biology Association, NatureKenya and the Animal Demography Unit of the University of Cape Town and managed through the Bird Committee of the East Africa Natural History Society.

The project aims to map 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.

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.

By pooling the effort of many Citizen Scientist birders, Kenya Bird Map will tell this story and in so doing provide a powerful tool for conservation.

Join us!

If you are at all interested in watching birds, have any concern for the conservation of Kenya’s birds and enjoy being outside and exploring new places, then the Kenya Bird Map project is for you!

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.

While the website is still being completed to allow the capture of data and to show species maps in real time, Observers can already register and field work has begun. To register and receive your login details, email <kenyabirdmap(at)naturekenya.org> with your name, telephone number, address and email. You will receive an Observer Number and password allowing you to login to Kenya Bird Map. Your login details will also allow you access to the other Virtual Museum for Africa sites.

The project is being funded by a Marie Curie Actions grant and the Natural History Museum of Denmark.