ConQuest Adventures

@conquestbirding.bsky.social

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ConQuest Adventures is a specialist tour operator in East Africa offering splendid small-group birding tours, nature photography, and wildlife safaris throughout Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/

A male Mocking Cliff Chat that resides in a rocky habitat. This attractive species is easily recognized by its distinctive habit of slowly lifting and lowering its tail, particularly while delivering its rich, melodious song from an exposed perch.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/tour/20-days-birding/
The Black-headed Lapwing is unmistakable, distinguished by its conspicuous black-and-white head, warm brown upperparts, and pale underparts. A slender black crest and a narrow black stripe running down the centre of the breast add to its elegant appearance. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The White-crested Turaco, a beautiful bird, aptly named for its prominent white crest and head, accented by a bold black mark above the eye. It is usually seen moving gracefully through the forest canopy in small groups, feeding mainly on fruits. Like all turacos, it reveals brilliant crimson wing patches in flight, a spectacular flash of color that makes it unmistakable as it glides between the treetops.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Olive Ibis is a shy and generally rare inhabitant of East Africa's highland forests. Often difficult to observe, it prefers secluded areas along fast-flowing forest streams, where it probes the riverbanks and shallow waters for insects, worms, crustaceans, and other small aquatic prey. It is distinguished by its rich olive-brown plumage and a prominent shaggy crest, which shows a subtle purplish sheen on the neck in good light.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Hartlaub's Turaco in Karura Forest, an urban forest close to Nairobi https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/tour/karura-forest-birding/
A breeding male Northern Red Bishop in Lake Baringo https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/tour/20-days-birding/
A female Abyssinian Ground Hornbill. This impressive ground-dwelling bird spends most of its time walking through open savannahs in search of insects, reptiles, and other small prey, taking to the air only when alarmed. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Three-banded Courser is an elegant, beautifully camouflaged bird of dry savannas and open scrub. Primarily nocturnal, it spends the daylight hours resting motionless beneath bushes, where its cryptic plumage blends seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A male Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, small, shy inhabitant of arid deserts and semi-desert scrub. Beautifully patterned with fine black vermiculations across its sandy plumage, it is remarkably well camouflaged against the dry landscape. The male is distinguished by its striking black-and-white forehead pattern and broad sandy and black horizontal bands across the breast. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Rüppell's Long-tailed Starling is an elegant large starling with glossy purplish-blue plumage, a long graduated tail, and a conspicuous creamy-white eye that stands out against its dark face
A Red-tailed Monkey in Kakamega Forest. Note the distinctive white nose spot and cheeks, which make this colorful primate easy to identify. An agile canopy dweller, it spends most of its time feeding on fruits, leaves, and flowers high in the tropical rainforest and is often seen foraging in mixed troops alongside Blue Monkeys
A male Violet-backed Starling, its iridescent violet-blue plumage gleaming in the light, feeds on berries and fruits.
The Joyful Greenbul is one of the most vocal and conspicuous greenbuls of Kakamega Forest. Its rich, melodious calls frequently echo through the forest canopy, often revealing its presence long before it is seen. Usually found in pairs or small groups, this lively species forages actively among the foliage in search of insects and fruits, adding a constant soundtrack to East Africa's only true tropical rainforest. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Superb Starling is one of the commonest and most widespread bird species in East Africa, and perhaps one of the most photographed birds on safari. True to its name, the species is admired for its striking and vivid coloration. It displays brilliant metallic blue plumage across the back, breast, and wings, contrasted beautifully by rich burnt-orange underparts. A narrow white band neatly separates the blue breast from the orange abdomen. The bill and legs are black, while the bright yellow eyes give the bird an especially striking appearance. Both sexes are similar in appearance. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A female Southern Bushbuck, a forest edge, solitary antelope, cryptically colored and disruptively marked. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The White-browed Robin-Chat is one of the melodious songsters of the savannah, renowned for its rich and captivating dawn chorus. Usually encountered in pairs, these shy birds prefer dense thickets and undergrowth, where they forage quietly on the ground in search of insects. Despite their secretive nature, their beautiful and varied songs often reveal their presence long before they are seen.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The African Hummingbird Hawk-Moth is a fascinating day-flying moth often mistaken for a hummingbird because of its rapid wingbeats and hovering feeding behavior. One of its most striking features is the long, curled proboscis, a specialized feeding tube used to extract nectar deep within flowers. When not in use, the proboscis remains tightly coiled beneath the head, unfurling only during feeding. #moth #insectphotography #macrophotography https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Black-collared Apalis has a black chest band and rufous flanks. Usually seen in pairs, the male will wag its tail sideways, making the white outer tail feathers conspicuous https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/kenya-birding/
Great White Pelicans in Lake Nakuru National Park, where they congregate in large flocks. Their most distinctive feature is the remarkable gular pouch, a flexible, featherless membrane suspended from the lower jaw. This specialized adaptation acts like a built-in fishing net, allowing pelicans to scoop up fish and drain the water before swallowing their catch.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Vitelline Masked Weaver, busy putting the final touches on its intricately woven, onion-shaped nest—an impressive display of craftsmanship. Once completed, the female inspects the nest carefully, and if it meets her standards, she will accept the male and proceed with breeding. This remarkable behavior highlights the importance of nest-building skill in the species’ courtship and reproductive success. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Rufous Chatterer juvenile, freshly out of the nest, begging persistently for food and attention from its parents. The young birds may appear slightly duller and less well-defined in plumage compared to adults, but their behavior is unmistakable—following the adults closely, fluttering their wings, and calling loudly to solicit feeding https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Ring-necked Dove is more than just a bird; it is the quintessential soundtrack of the African wilderness. As the continent's most widespread and abundant resident, it thrives in almost every habitat, from scrubby savannas to city gardens. What truly sets it apart is its tireless, rhythmic call—a melodic, three-note "song" that locals often interpret as a persistent "work harder, work harder." This constant, rolling "coo" has become a signature sound of the landscape, offering a steady, comforting beat to the African day https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Spotted Morning Thrush (also known as the Spotted Palm Thrush) is an intrepidly marked, thrush-like bird with a brown back, rufous tail, and white underparts heavily spotted with black. It is typically found in dense undergrowth within savanna, woodland, and scrub habitats, where it often remains well hidden. Despite this, it is most easily detected by its distinctive song—a rich, musical, whistled series of repeated notes and short phrases, sometimes incorporating imitations of other bird species https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Yellow-spotted Barbet is a boldly marked forest species, heavily spotted and barred with yellow. It features a noticeable scarlet forehead patch and a long, curving yellow line running from the eye to the hindneck. Highly active and often noisy, it is usually found in the canopy of fruiting trees, frequently joining mixed feeding flocks. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Brown-chested Alethe, a common silent bird in the forest, is usually encountered feeding on the ground. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A male Red-billed Firefinch is easily recognized by its bright pink face, crown, and underparts. In contrast, the female is mostly brown, with only a small pink patch between the eye and bill and a pink upper tail.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A Baglafecht Weaver having a bath in Ondiri Swamp #birds #birdwatching #birdphotography https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A male Von der Decken’s Hornbill, common in the dry regions of Eastern Africa. Males have large red bills, while females have black bills. The species is usually encountered in resident pairs or small family groups and remains within its home range throughout the year. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Taveta Golden Weaver is sexually dimorphic. Males are vivid yellow with greenish wings and tail, and show rich chestnut patches on the nape and chest. Females are darker yellow with dusky streaking, paler underparts, and a distinct yellow stripe above each eye. Both sexes have dark eyes. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Yellow-necked Spurfowl is fairly common in light bush and savanna. Blackish legs and bill, a distinctive bare yellow throat, and red-orange skin around the eyes characterize it. In flight, it shows a conspicuous pale buff patch in the primaries. The species is often encountered dust-bathing along tracks and foraging on elephant dung. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A pair of Jackson’s Hornbills photographed in Lake Baringo. The male is distinguished by a mostly red bill with a small yellow or whitish tip, while the female is smaller, with a shorter, all-black bill and casque. Both sexes display distinctive white spotting across the wings. This species is typically found in open savanna with scattered bushes and thorny trees, usually occurring in pairs or small family groups.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Rüppell’s Starling, when seen in good light, displays a noticeable iridescence and is mostly purple with green wings and a rich maroon belly #birding #birds #photography #nature https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A female Cardinal Woodpecker is carefully inspecting its new nesting cavity on an electricity pole. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
A female Cotton Pygmy Goose in Lake Baringo. This species is typically found in Asia. Its presence in inland Africa is vastly rare, making this sighting significant for regional ornithology.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Hamerkop inhabits a variety of wetlands and feeds on a wide range of prey, mainly fish and amphibians hunted in shallow waters https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Chinspot Batis #birding #birds #photogtaphy https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Long-toed Lapwing is a striking, long-legged shorebird easily recognized by its boldly marked white face and throat, framed by a contrasting black nape, crown, and breast band https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The Fulvous Whistling Duck is a distinctive, long-legged duck with rich, reddish-brown plumage and a long, blue-gray bill. In flight, it shows a distinctive white band across its black tail. Often found in wetlands, rice fields, and shallow lakes, this species is known for its soft, whistling calls and habit of gathering in large flocks.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Narina Trogon – A spectacular bird with striking iridescent green plumage, a vivid scarlet belly, a broad yellow bill, and clean white undertail.
A breeding male Jackson's Widowbird with the distinctive long tail which is curved downwards at the end. The males perform intricate aerial and ground displays, with tail length often being a key factor in attracting females https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/birding-safari
The male red-bellied parrot is distinguished by a deep orange belly, ash-brown upper parts, and bright pale bluish rump. The female has a grey upper breast, pale green lower breast sometimes tinged with orange, and a head that is paler and greyer than a male's. Both sexes have red irises, dark grey beaks, and grey feet.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
The African Stonechat sits in the open on fence posts, tree stumps, and other elevated areas. The males have a black head, a white half-collar, a black back, a white rump, and a black tail. Females have brown rather than black above and on the head with an indistinct paler eyebrow line, chestnut-buff rather than orange below, and less white on the wings.https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Hiking in Mount Suswa, a shield volcano in the Great Rift Valley. The mountain has a distinctive double crater with a ravine-like inner crater surrounding a tilted block of rock. The hill is also known for its lava tubes on the northeast side of the outer crater. The summit is 2,356 meters. www.conquestadventures.co.ke
Red-headed Bluebill, a charming bird not to miss feeding on tropical forest trails, has a huge cone-shaped bill; both sexes have a red head. Males will show a black belly while females have a spotted one. #birding #birds #birdphotography https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/
Eastern Yellow-billed Barbet in Kakamega Forest, a tropical forest in Western Kenya. The barbet has a striking long tail, with a yellow bill and a large patch of bare yellow skin around the eye. Found in tropical rainforest and lower montane forest, commonly in the undergrowth, and mainly in treefall gaps, and along forest edges. https://www.conquestadventures.co.ke/