Eyeing the Ondiri Swamp

This swamp forms the catchment supply for the famous Nairobi River. The river runs across the major Kiambu and Nairobi Counties to join the Athi River basin down south on its way to the Indian Ocean, as Sabaki.

Water lilies and the swamp in the background

On any visit, you are guaranteed to enjoy the amazing biodiversity of the area. The swamp hosts a wide variety of plants and animals. Among the easily spotted plants include tall cat-tails and beautiful water lilies that cover many parts of the swamp. The bird life here is amazing with over 100 species occupying the area. Highlight bird species in the area include: Stout Cisticola, Jackson’s Widowbird, Little Bittern, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Garden Warbler, Augur Buzzard, Malachite Sunbird, and many more aquatic and terrestrial birds (representing babblers, ibises, storks, weavers, white-eyes, ducks, crows, cranes, kingfishers, plovers etc). Many invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles species also thrive in the swamp. The swamp is also known to host carnivores like mongoose, that take advantage of the abundant prey.