Tell us about yourself Kip:
My full name is James Kiptoo and I have been interested in birds for a long time. During my childhood I did not pay much attention to birds because in my culture we did not consider them something special. I used to be a scout and then I got picked to be a scout leader. We used to go camping a lot and also, as a leader, I used to teach the other scouts. We used to go hiking, but we didn’t use real tents, just very thin paper, so I got used to camping.
After elementary I went to high school and after high school I joined the Wildlife Clubs and it was from there that I studied more about nature and animals. After high school, I joined the university and there I started to study birds, animals, reptiles and other things that you find in nature. Thus my interest in birds grew and I began to join other clubs and societies. We have the National Museums of Kenya, where the Kenya Natural History Society is based, as well as the Ornithology Department of the museum. On a visit to the Ornithology Department we were shown all the stuffed birds in the drawers and from there my interest really started to develop further.
I was introduced to Nature Kenya in 1996. At Nature Kenya, I really praise my mentor Fleur Ng’weno (my daughter is also called Fleur). Fleur knows birds like the back of her hand; she can tell you everything. Every Wednesday we have bird walks at the museum and every Wednesday we would go up to her and she would give us binoculars. It was our first experience with binoculars, so we didn’t know if they were good or bad, but we were very happy to have them.
With birds there are many ways to identify them, one is by singing. You can also distinguish the bird by flight mode, habitat, and feeding mode. For example, in Nairobi we have scavengers like the marabou stork. We also have sparrows and here at home I have a rufous sparrow nesting outside.
Nature Kenya does bird ringing. They put the ring on their feet and that ring has a lot of information. If you find a dead bird and it has a ring, take it to the museum and they will tell you where it breeds, how far it has travelled, etc.
What is your favorite bird?
I don’t have a favorite, they are all my favorites. When I find a new bird, that’s a lifer, and then it becomes a favorite.
In Kenya we have around 1089 species of birds because we have the right habitat for all these birds. We have deserts, forests, seas, savannahs and oceans. So the birds have no reason why they can’t come here. Kenya has a migratory route where birds from Eastern Europe migrate to Siberia. We have interesting birds like warblers and blackcaps that move a very long distance, and this makes me appreciate birds very much. You know how cold and far away Siberia is – this little bird comes all the way there to escape the cold weather! They come because they want to reproduce or feed.
What is your favorite place to watch birds?
In Kenya we have places called IBAs – Important Bird Areas. They are special depending on the species you can find there, which is why Kenya’s 60 IBAs are my favorite places. They are recognized globally, and also regionally, due to one or a few individual species found there. In Kenya we have quite a few endemic birds. For example, if you go to the Kinangop grasslands, not far from Nairobi, near Naivasha, we have a bird called Sharpe’s Longclaw which is endemic to that area. People from all over the world come to that area to see Sharpe’s long claw. When you go to Kiriaini or Mwea you have the Hinde babbler, which is the only endemic species you can find in that area.
We also have the shorebirds of Kenya. When you go to Arabuko Sokoke, for example, you have birds like the Sokoke Scops Owl and the Sokoe Pipit, just to name a few. In northeast Kenya we have the William’s Lark which we don’t have anywhere else; it is endemic.
Why is Lake Magadi so special during the Easter period?
Easter is when Lake Magadi will have received some rain. Note that Magadi is very hot but after the rains it is beautiful because of all these little grasses and other plants that emerge and the area turns green and flowers grow. The bees are sucking nectar from the flowers and the birds are flying because the water has just arrived. In the Magadi area we have unique habitats for aquatic species such as Spoonbills, Flamingos, Crowned Plovers, Kittlitz Plovers and Three-banded Plovers.
But before reaching Magadi, there are a number of places that you must visit first. For example, this trip will start from Ngong Hills. The change in altitude is quite drastic: from the town of Ngong you go up to the wind turbines and the weather station. Then from Corner Baridi you descend to see more rainfed species. Among them, you may see or hear the White-bellied Go-away-bird, the Chinspot Batis, or the Brubru. The Brubru is a very small bird with rufous or red flanks. It is small but makes a very loud call, as if someone is whistling.
Since March to June is the season to see migratory birds in Kenya, can you tell us more about it?
As I said before, birds migrate from Eastern Europe, Russia, and Siberia, that’s long-distance migration. Short-distance migration is like the flamingos moving between Lakes Nakuru, Bogoria, Baringo and Oloiden. The other is the vertical migration where you might see a bird like the Tacazze Sunbird on top of Mount Kenya and then the next time it will be in the Naro Moro area (at the base of the mountain). They come down to reproduce.
Long distance or intra-African migration is starting now and we are seeing various birds from Europe such as spotted thrush, rock thrush and Eurasian bee-eaters. Birds migrating from Madagascar (which is a unique habitat) make up the Malagasy migration.
What are some “fun facts” you can share with us about birds?
In some communities, if you see a woodpecker pecking on the left side of the tree, they advise you not to continue with that safari. If you are walking and you see a griffon vulture and it shows you its white belly, then it is good luck.
