D’Arnaud’s Barbet: Birding from Samburu, North Kenya

It was a warm afternoon and I was waiting for our safari vehicle outside the reception of our Samburu Sopa Lodge. It was during this wait that I saw an amazing series of events orchestrated by the D’Arnaud’s barbet.


This very pretty looking bird was initially hiding in the bushes and it was difficult to photograph it, but soon it came out into the open sun. This is where I began clicking. Each of its moments were a sight. First, it stood on the edge of trash bin. Then, it started scratching itself on a concrete pole, then made loud calls and then I was lucky to catch it in flight too.


These photographs are those amazing series of events. Technically, we were inside the wildlife lodge property, but logically, we were inside the forest as the Samburu Sopa Lodge is deep inside the Samburu National Reserve of North Kenya.