Lake Natron Birding Checklist : Lake Natron is famous for its high salt levels with a PH greater than 12, a number of wild species that come in contact with it and are not adapted to it are belived to die due to the fact that the calcium salts can penetrate the body tissue leading their death. Continue reading this article to know more about the bird species that can be spotted at lake natron as per our Lake Natron Birding Checklist.
Although the Lake is dangerous, there are a number of different bird species that can be seen with over one million red flaminos that can be seen flockin its shores in the dry season. Continue reading to understamnd more of the species that can be seen for the most rewarding tanzania birding safaris as listed on our Lake Natron Birding Checklist.
| 1 | Common Ostrich | Struthio camelus |
| 2 | White-faced Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna viduata |
| 3 | Fulvous Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna bicolor |
| 4 | Knob-billed Duck | Sarkidiornis melanotos |
| 5 | Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca |
| 6 | Spur-winged Goose | Plectropterus gambensis |
| 7 | Blue-billed Teal | Spatula hottentota |
| 8 | /Northern Shoveler/ | Spatula clypeata |
| 9 | Cape Teal | Anas capensis |
| 10 | Red-billed Duck | Anas erythrorhyncha |
| 11 | Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris |
| 12 | Crested Francolin | Ortygornis sephaena |
| 13 | Coqui Francolin | Campocolinus coqui |
| 14 | Harlequin Quail | Coturnix delegorguei |
| 15 | Scaly Spurfowl | Pternistis squamatus |
| 16 | Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl | Pternistis hildebrandti |
| 17 | Yellow-necked Spurfowl | Pternistis leucoscepus |
| 18 | Greater Flamingo | Phoenicopterus roseus |
| 19 | <Lesser Flamingo> | Phoenicoparrus minor |
| 20 | Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
| 21 | Speckled Pigeon | Columba guinea |
| 22 | Mourning Collared-Dove | Streptopelia decipiens |
| 23 | Red-eyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata |
| 24 | Ring-necked Dove | Streptopelia capicola |
| 25 | Laughing Dove | Spilopelia senegalensis |
| 26 | Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove | Turtur chalcospilos |
| 27 | Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis |
| 28 | Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse | Pterocles exustus |
| 29 | Black-faced Sandgrouse | Pterocles decoratus |
| 30 | Kori Bustard | Ardeotis kori |
| 31 | White-bellied Bustard | Eupodotis senegalensis |
| 32 | Buff-crested Bustard | Lophotis gindiana |
| 33 | Black-bellied Bustard | Lissotis melanogaster |
| 34 | Bare-faced Go-away-bird | Crinifer personatus |
| 35 | White-bellied Go-away-bird | Crinifer leucogaster |
| 36 | Red-chested Cuckoo | Cuculus solitarius |
| 37 | /Common Cuckoo/ | Cuculus canorus |
| 38 | African Cuckoo | Cuculus gularis |
| 39 | White-browed Coucal | Centropus superciliosus |
| 40 | Klaas’s Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx klaas |
| 41 | Sombre Nightjar | Caprimulgus fraenatus |
| 42 | Donaldson Smith’s Nightjar | Caprimulgus donaldsoni |
| 43 | Slender-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus clarus |
| 44 | Square-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus fossii |
| 45 | Mottled Spinetail | Telacanthura ussheri |
| 46 | Mottled Swift | Tachymarptis aequatorialis |
| 47 | |Common Swift| | Apus apus |
| 48 | Nyanza Swift | Apus niansae |
| 49 | Little Swift | Apus affinis |
| 50 | White-rumped Swift | Apus caffer |
| 51 | Gray Crowned-Crane | Balearica regulorum |
| 52 | Black-winged Stilt | Himantopus himantopus |
| 53 | Pied Avocet | Recurvirostra avosetta |
| 54 | /Black-bellied Plover/ | Pluvialis squatarola |
| 55 | /Common Ringed Plover/ | Charadrius hiaticula |
| 56 | Three-banded Plover | Charadrius tricollaris |
| 57 | Blacksmith Lapwing | Vanellus armatus |
| 58 | Spur-winged Lapwing | Vanellus spinosus |
| 59 | Black-winged Lapwing | Vanellus melanopterus |
| 60 | Crowned Lapwing | Vanellus coronatus |
| 61 | Wattled Lapwing | Vanellus senegallus |
| 62 | /Caspian Plover/ | Anarhynchus asiaticus |
| 63 | Kittlitz’s Plover | Anarhynchus pecuarius |
| 64 | Chestnut-banded Plover | Anarhynchus pallidus |
| 65 | /Common Snipe/ | Gallinago gallinago |
| 66 | /Common Sandpiper/ | Actitis hypoleucos |
| 67 | /Green Sandpiper/ | Tringa ochropus |
| 68 | /Marsh Sandpiper/ | Tringa stagnatilis |
| 69 | /Wood Sandpiper/ | Tringa glareola |
| 70 | /Common Greenshank/ | Tringa nebularia |
| 71 | /Ruff/ | Calidris pugnax |
| 72 | /Curlew Sandpiper/ | Calidris ferruginea |
| 73 | /Little Stint/ | Calidris minuta |
| 74 | Small Buttonquail | Turnix sylvaticus |
| 75 | Bronze-winged Courser | Rhinoptilus chalcopterus |
| 76 | Double-banded Courser | Smutsornis africanus |
| 77 | Temminck’s Courser | Cursorius temminckii |
| 78 | Collared Pratincole | Glareola pratincola |
| 79 | Gray-hooded Gull | Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus |
| 80 | African Skimmer | Rynchops flavirostris |
| 81 | /Gull-billed Tern/ | Gelochelidon nilotica |
| 82 | Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida |
| 83 | /White-winged Tern/ | Chlidonias leucopterus |
| 84 | African Openbill | Anastomus lamelligerus |
| 85 | /Abdim’s Stork/ | Ciconia abdimii |
| 86 | /White Stork/ | Ciconia ciconia |
| 87 | Marabou Stork | Leptoptilos crumenifer |
| 88 | Yellow-billed Stork | Mycteria ibis |
| 89 | African Darter | Anhinga rufa |
| 90 | Long-tailed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus |
| 91 | Great Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| 92 | Great White Pelican | Pelecanus onocrotalus |
| 93 | Pink-backed Pelican | Pelecanus rufescens |
| 94 | Shoebill | Balaeniceps rex |
| 95 | Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta |
| 96 | Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus |
| 97 | Little Egret | Egretta garzetta |
| 98 | Western Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis |
| 99 | Great Egret | Ardea alba |
| 100 | Yellow-billed Egret | Ardea brachyrhyncha |
| 101 | Gray Heron | Ardea cinerea |
| 102 | Black-headed Heron | Ardea melanocephala |
| 103 | Goliath Heron | Ardea goliath |
| 104 | Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus |
| 105 | African Sacred Ibis | Threskiornis aethiopicus |
| 106 | Hadada Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash |
| 107 | African Spoonbill | Platalea alba |
| 108 | Secretarybird | Sagittarius serpentarius |
| 109 | African Harrier-Hawk | Polyboroides typus |
| 110 | Egyptian Vulture | Neophron percnopterus |
| 111 | Lappet-faced Vulture | Torgos tracheliotos |
| 112 | White-backed Vulture | Gyps africanus |
| 113 | Rueppell’s Griffon | Gyps rueppelli |
| 114 | Bateleur | Terathopius ecaudatus |
| 115 | Black-chested Snake-Eagle | Circaetus pectoralis |
| 116 | /Booted Eagle/ | Hieraaetus pennatus |
| 117 | Tawny Eagle | Aquila rapax |
| 118 | /Steppe Eagle/ | Aquila nipalensis |
| 119 | Verreaux’s Eagle | Aquila verreauxii |
| 120 | Dark Chanting-Goshawk | Melierax metabates |
| 121 | Eastern Chanting-Goshawk | Melierax poliopterus |
| 122 | /Western Marsh Harrier/ | Circus aeruginosus |
| 123 | African Marsh Harrier | Circus ranivorus |
| 124 | Montagu’s Harrier | Circus pygargus |
| 125 | /Black Kite/ | Milvus migrans |
| 126 | Yellow-billed Kite** | Milvus aegyptius |
| 127 | African Fish-Eagle | Icthyophaga vocifer |
| 128 | Augur Buzzard | Buteo augur |
| 129 | Pearl-spotted Owlet | Glaucidium perlatum |
| 130 | Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus |
| 131 | Blue-naped Mousebird | Urocolius macrourus |
| 132 | /Eurasian Hoopoe/ | Upupa epops |
| 133 | Abyssinian Scimitarbill | Rhinopomastus minor |
| 134 | African Gray Hornbill | Lophoceros nasutus |
| 135 | Northern Red-billed Hornbill | Tockus erythrorhynchus |
| 136 | Von der Decken’s Hornbill | Tockus deckeni |
| 137 | African Pygmy Kingfisher | Ispidina picta |
| 138 | Gray-headed Kingfisher | Halcyon leucocephala |
| 139 | Woodland Kingfisher | Halcyon senegalensis |
| 140 | Brown-hooded Kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris |
| 141 | Striped Kingfisher | Halcyon chelicuti |
| 142 | White-fronted Bee-eater | Merops bullockoides |
| 143 | Little Bee-eater | Merops pusillus |
| 144 | /White-throated Bee-eater/ | Merops albicollis |
| 145 | |European Bee-eater| | Merops apiaster |
| 146 | /European Roller/ | Coracias garrulus |
| 147 | Lilac-breasted Roller | Coracias caudatus |
| 148 | Rufous-crowned Roller | Coracias naevius |
| 149 | Red-and-yellow Barbet | Trachyphonus erythrocephalus |
| 150 | D’Arnaud’s Barbet | Trachyphonus darnaudii |
| 151 | Red-fronted Barbet | Tricholaema diademata |
| 152 | Spot-flanked Barbet | Tricholaema lacrymosa |
| 153 | Black-throated Barbet | Tricholaema melanocephala |
| 154 | White-headed Barbet | Lybius leucocephalus |
| 155 | Cardinal Woodpecker | Dendropicos fuscescens |
| 156 | Nubian Woodpecker | Campethera nubica |
| 157 | Pygmy Falcon | Polihierax semitorquatus |
| 158 | /Eurasian Kestrel/ | Falco tinnunculus |
| 159 | Greater Kestrel | Falco rupicoloides |
| 160 | Gray Kestrel | Falco ardosiaceus |
| 161 | Lanner Falcon | Falco biarmicus |
| 162 | Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| 163 | Fischer’s Lovebird | Agapornis fischeri |
| 164 | Black Cuckooshrike | Campephaga flava |
| 165 | Chinspot Batis | Batis molitor |
| 166 | Black-backed Puffback | Dryoscopus cubla |
| 167 | Black-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra senegalus |
| 168 | Brown-crowned Tchagra | Tchagra australis |
| 169 | Tropical Boubou | Laniarius major |
| 170 | Slate-colored Boubou | Laniarius funebris |
| 171 | Rosy-patched Bushshrike | Rhodophoneus cruentus |
| 172 | Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike | Telophorus sulfureopectus |
| 173 | Fork-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis |
| 174 | African Paradise-Flycatcher | Terpsiphone viridis |
| 175 | /Red-backed Shrike/ | Lanius collurio |
| 176 | /Isabelline Shrike/ | Lanius isabellinus |
| 177 | |Lesser Gray Shrike| | Lanius minor |
| 178 | Gray-backed Fiscal | Lanius excubitoroides |
| 179 | Long-tailed Fiscal | Lanius cabanisi |
| 180 | Taita Fiscal | Lanius dorsalis |
| 181 | Northern Fiscal | Lanius humeralis |
| 182 | White-rumped Shrike | Eurocephalus ruppelli |
| 183 | White-necked Raven | Corvus albicollis |
| 184 | Red-throated Tit | Melaniparus fringillinus |
| 185 | <Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark> | Eremopterix leucotis |
| 186 | Fischer’s Sparrow-Lark | Eremopterix leucopareia |
| 187 | White-tailed Lark | Mirafra albicauda |
| 188 | Rufous-naped Lark | Mirafra africana |
| 189 | <Short-tailed Lark> | Pseudalaemon fremantlii |
| 190 | Northern Crombec | Sylvietta brachyura |
| 191 | Red-faced Crombec | Sylvietta whytii |
| 192 | Yellow-bellied Eremomela | Eremomela icteropygialis |
| 193 | Gray Wren-Warbler | Calamonastes simplex |
| 194 | Green-backed Camaroptera | Camaroptera brachyura |
| 195 | Rattling Cisticola | Cisticola chiniana |
| 196 | Ashy Cisticola | Cisticola cinereolus |
| 197 | Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis |
| 198 | /Great Reed Warbler/ | Acrocephalus arundinaceus |
| 199 | Banded Martin | Neophedina cincta |
| 200 | Rock Martin | Ptyonoprogne fuligula |
| 201 | /Barn Swallow/ | Hirundo rustica |
| 202 | Wire-tailed Swallow | Hirundo smithii |
| 203 | /Western House-Martin/ | Delichon urbicum |
| 204 | Lesser Striped Swallow | Cecropis abyssinica |
| 205 | Northern Brownbul | Phyllastrephus strepitans |
| 206 | Common Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus |
| 207 | Banded Parisoma | Curruca boehmi |
| 208 | Pale White-eye | Zosterops flavilateralis |
| 209 | Rufous Chatterer | Argya rubiginosa |
| 210 | Scaly Chatterer | Argya aylmeri |
| 211 | Black-lored Babbler | Turdoides sharpei |
| 212 | Northern Pied-Babbler | Turdoides hypoleuca |
| 213 | Red-billed Oxpecker | Buphagus erythrorynchus |
| 214 | Wattled Starling | Creatophora cinerea |
| 215 | Violet-backed Starling | Cinnyricinclus leucogaster |
| 216 | Red-winged Starling | Onychognathus morio |
| 217 | Hildebrandt’s Starling | Lamprotornis hildebrandti |
| 218 | Rueppell’s Starling | Lamprotornis purpuroptera |
| 219 | Superb Starling | Lamprotornis superbus |
| 220 | Greater Blue-eared Starling | Lamprotornis chalybaeus |
| 221 | Abyssinian Thrush | Turdus abyssinicus |
| 222 | |Spotted Flycatcher| | Muscicapa striata |
| 223 | African Gray Flycatcher | Bradornis microrhynchus |
| 224 | Pale Flycatcher | Agricola pallidus |
| 225 | Southern Black-Flycatcher | Melaenornis pammelaina |
| 226 | Red-backed Scrub-Robin | Cercotrichas leucophrys |
| 227 | Cape Robin-Chat | Cossypha caffra |
| 228 | Rueppell’s Robin-Chat | Cossypha semirufa |
| 229 | White-browed Robin-Chat | Cossypha heuglini |
| 230 | Collared Palm-Thrush | Cichladusa arquata |
| 231 | Spotted Morning-Thrush | Cichladusa guttata |
| 232 | /Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush/ | Monticola saxatilis |
| 233 | Mocking Cliff-Chat | Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris |
| 234 | Northern Anteater-Chat | Myrmecocichla aethiops |
| 235 | /Northern Wheatear/ | Oenanthe oenanthe |
| 236 | Capped Wheatear | Oenanthe pileata |
| 237 | /Isabelline Wheatear/ | Oenanthe isabellina |
| 238 | /Pied Wheatear/ | Oenanthe pleschanka |
| 239 | Familiar Chat | Oenanthe familiaris |
| 240 | Abyssinian Wheatear | Oenanthe lugubris |
| 241 | Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird | Anthreptes orientalis |
| 242 | Collared Sunbird | Hedydipna collaris |
| 243 | Scarlet-chested Sunbird | Chalcomitra senegalensis |
| 244 | Beautiful Sunbird | Cinnyris pulchellus |
| 245 | Variable Sunbird | Cinnyris venustus |
| 246 | White-headed Buffalo-Weaver | Dinemellia dinemelli |
| 247 | Speckle-fronted Weaver | Sporopipes frontalis |
| 248 | White-browed Sparrow-Weaver | Plocepasser mahali |
| 249 | Lesser Masked-Weaver | Ploceus intermedius |
| 250 | <Chestnut Weaver> | Ploceus rubiginosus |
| 251 | <Cardinal Quelea> | Quelea cardinalis |
| 252 | <Red-billed Quelea> | Quelea quelea |
| 253 | Southern Red Bishop | Euplectes orix |
| 254 | Yellow Bishop | Euplectes capensis |
| 255 | Yellow-mantled Widowbird | Euplectes macroura |
| 256 | Black-and-white Mannikin | Spermestes bicolor |
| 257 | African Silverbill | Euodice cantans |
| 258 | <Cut-throat> | Amadina fasciata |
| 259 | Purple Grenadier | Granatina ianthinogaster |
| 260 | Red-cheeked Cordonbleu | Uraeginthus bengalus |
| 261 | Blue-capped Cordonbleu | Uraeginthus cyanocephalus |
| 262 | Red-billed Firefinch | Lagonosticta senegala |
| 263 | Pin-tailed Whydah | Vidua macroura |
| 264 | Eastern Paradise-Whydah | Vidua paradisaea |
| 265 | Steel-blue Whydah | Vidua hypocherina |
| 266 | Straw-tailed Whydah | Vidua fischeri |
| 267 | Village Indigobird | Vidua chalybeata |
| 268 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
| 269 | Kenya Rufous Sparrow | Passer rufocinctus |
| 270 | Northern Gray-headed Sparrow | Passer griseus |
| 271 | Swahili Sparrow | Passer suahelicus |
| 272 | Chestnut Sparrow | Passer eminibey |
| 273 | African Pied Wagtail | Motacilla aguimp |
| 274 | African Pipit | Anthus cinnamomeus |
| 275 | Plain-backed Pipit | Anthus leucophrys |
| 276 | Yellow-throated Longclaw | Macronyx croceus |
| 277 | Pangani Longclaw | Macronyx aurantiigula |
| 278 | Yellow-fronted Canary | Crithagra mozambicus |
| 279 | White-bellied Canary | Crithagra dorsostriatus |
In summary, this article entails the bird species that can be spotted at Lake natron as per our Lake Natron Birding Checklist.
“Let us take you on an adventure that will lead you to a number of migratory and endemic species as you enjoy your time in the wild watching the bird species during your Tanzania safaris.”
