City
Nairobi
🇰🇪 Kenya
Africa, Kenya 416 spp. recorded
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. The city goes beyond its borders and has expanded into neighbouring counties. Wikipedia
1.233° S 36.843° E
🦜 Nature
416 Species sighted
41,273 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jul Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis
LC
Typical Lemniscomys
Lemniscomys striatus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Sundevall's Writhing Skink
Mochlus sundevallii
LC
Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink
Panaspis wahlbergii
LC
Nile Crocodile
Crocodylus niloticus
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
Ptychadena anchietae
LC
Howell's Reed Frog
Hyperolius howelli
LC
Senegal Kassina
Kassina senegalensis
LC
Nutt's River Frog
Amietia nutti
LC
Shovel-nosed Frog
Hemisus marmoratus
LC
Nile Ridged Frog
Ptychadena nilotica
LC
Marsabit Clawed Frog
Xenopus borealis
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Sundevall's Writhing Skink
Mochlus sundevallii
LC
Grass-top skink
Trachylepis megalura
LC
Southern Giant Pouched Rat
Cricetomys ansorgei
LC
Nutt's River Frog
Amietia nutti
LC
House Crow
Corvus splendens
White-Backed Night-Heron
Gorsachius leuconotus
Recent sightings in Nairobi
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Nairobi River @ National Museums of Kenya (incl. Boulevard Hotel)
-
Karura Forest · KFEET, Wetlands & Lily Lake
-
Ole Sereni Hotel
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
UN Offices and Nature Trail (incl. ICRAF Rd.)
-
Tamarind Tree Hotel and Carnivore Area
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
43Jan
36Feb
41Mar
41Apr
42May
43Jun
46Jul
40Aug
41Sep
40Oct
40Nov
45Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
6%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
7
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
0
placesClimate
Oceanic
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
5.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 927
🐒 Mammals 272
🦎 Reptiles 137
🐸 Amphibians 55
1391 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
53 Threatened 8 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
4.6
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
69% 📊
Coverage (147 species at ≥5% of 1391 in the inventory)
11% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)
20% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
9 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
18 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.9
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 6% land High
Protected areas 7 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 0 Low
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Nairobi?
416 species
Nairobi's urban area has 416 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Black Kite (about 80%), Common Bulbul (about 80%), Hadada (about 70%), Abyssinian Thrush (about 70%) and Blue Monkey (about 70%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Jackson's Chameleon (about 40%); among amphibians, African Common Toad (about 10%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Nairobi?
Any time of year
Wildlife is about as easy to see all year: the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day in every month with enough records.
Can you see a Blue Monkey in Nairobi?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Monkey sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 216 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January, March, July and November (about 80%).
Can you see an Abyssinian Thrush in Nairobi?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Abyssinian Thrush sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 1,359 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March–September and December (about 80%).
Can you see a Baglafecht Weaver in Nairobi?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Baglafecht Weaver sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 1,115 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 80%).
Where in Nairobi is wildlife easiest to see?
Nairobi River @ National Museums of Kenya (incl. Boulevard Hotel)
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Nairobi River @ National Museums of Kenya (incl. Boulevard Hotel) (150 bird species recorded), followed by Karura Forest and Karura Forest · KFEET, Wetlands & Lily Lake. See them on the map.
Is Nairobi good for wildlife watching?
4.7 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Nairobi gets 4.7/5: 44th of 380 cities worldwide and 5th in Africa. 24 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