City
Mombasa
🇰🇪 Kenya
Africa, Kenya 255 spp. recorded
Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. Wikipedia
4.045° S 39.671° E
🦜 Nature
255 Species sighted
8,818 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Oct Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Waterbuck
Kobus ellipsiprymnus
Common Eland
Taurotragus oryx
LC
Ochre Bush Squirrel
Paraxerus ochraceus
LC
African Civet
Civettictis civetta
LC
Common Warthog
Phacochoerus africanus
LC
Four-toed Hedgehog
Atelerix albiventris
LC
Heart-nosed bat
Cardioderma cor
LC
Yellow-winged Bat
Lavia frons
Suni
Neotragus moschatus
LC
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
LC
Speckle-lipped Mabuya
Trachylepis maculilabris
LC
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
LC
East-African Snake-eyed Skink
Cryptoblepharus africanus
LC
Painted Dwarf Gecko
Lygodactylus picturatus
LC
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
LC
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
LC
Battersby's Green Snake
Philothamnus battersbyi
LC
Tree skink
Trachylepis planifrons
LC
Eastern Green Mamba
Dendroaspis angusticeps
LC
Flathead Leaf-toed Gecko
Hemidactylus platycephalus
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Natal Puddle Frog
Phrynobatrachus natalensis
LC
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
Ptychadena anchietae
Red-legged Wot-wot
Phlyctimantis maculatus
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
LC
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
LC
Natal Puddle Frog
Phrynobatrachus natalensis
LC
Yellow-winged Bat
Lavia frons
LC
Flathead Leaf-toed Gecko
Hemidactylus platycephalus
Red-legged Wot-wot
Phlyctimantis maculatus
Recent sightings in Mombasa
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Bamburi/Mombasa North Beach
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Haller Park · Bamburi Nature Trail
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
Vervet Monkey>90%+10%
Egyptian Goose~90%+50%
Pied Kingfisher~80%+30%
Village Weaver~80%+30%
Malachite Kingfisher~80%+10%
Waterbuck~70%+50%
Kenyan Rock Agama~70%-10%
Tropical House Gecko~50%+20%
-
Moi International Airport
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
35Jan
38Feb
38Mar
43Apr
46May
34Jun
35Jul
38Aug
44Sep
51Oct
36Nov
31Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
—
Protected sea
5%
Protected areas
1
areasWildlife spots
5
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Tropical savanna
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.5
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 607
🐒 Mammals 219
🦎 Reptiles 160
🐸 Amphibians 43
1029 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
48 Threatened 1 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
70% 📊
Coverage (153 species at ≥5% of 1029 in the inventory)
15% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 1 mammal, 1 reptile)
39% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
6 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
43 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.4
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 5% sea High
Protected areas 1 Medium
Wildlife spots 5 Medium
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Mombasa?
255 species
Mombasa's urban area has 255 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Vervet Monkey (about 80%), Kenyan Rock Agama (about 80%), House Crow (about 80%), Fork-tailed Drongo (about 70%) and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (about 70%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Mombasa?
May and September–October
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 60% in June–July and November–January. Those are among Mombasa's wettest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against 15 mm in February.
Can you see a Kenyan Rock Agama in Mombasa?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Kenyan Rock Agama sighting in Mombasa on a given day, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March–May and September (about 90%).
Can you see a Golden Palm Weaver in Mombasa?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Palm Weaver sighting in Mombasa on a given day, based on 163 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May (about 90%).
Can you see a Vervet Monkey in Mombasa?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Vervet Monkey sighting in Mombasa on a given day, based on 52 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February, April–July and October (about 90%).
Where in Mombasa is wildlife easiest to see?
Nguuni Nature Sanctuary
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Nguuni Nature Sanctuary (182 bird species recorded), followed by Bamburi/Mombasa North Beach and Haller Park · Bamburi Nature Trail. See them on the map.
Is Mombasa good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Mombasa gets 4.8/5: 15th of 380 cities worldwide and 2nd in Africa. 51 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data