Planning on going bird watching? Kakamega forest in Kakamega and Vihiga counties is a heaven for bird watchers. Pack along this list of names of birds in Bukusu as it will be a worthy companion. The well researched list will reintroduce bird watching aficionados among you to birds that they know and love. Further, to complete this list, we feature both domesticated and wild birds that are part of the diet of Mbukusu.
In this article
My people refer to birds as chinyuni. Some of the birds listed here are of cultural significance, revealing insights to the worldview of Mbukusu. Thus, in a sister post to this one, we will be highlighting the cultural significance of some of these birds. Moreover, some these birds of the wild are edible; a fact we acknowledge with our simple classification below.
Kindly note that the birds of the wild listed will not necessarily be found in Kakamega forest bird watching trails. The purpose of this post is for the reader to learn names of birds in Bukusu. All in all, these are the most common birds that one will come across in western Kenya.
Edible birds
There are your domesticated favorites and an impressive list of edible birds of the wild.
Names of edible domesticated birds in Bukusu
- Engoko or éengokho is chicken
- Lipata are ducks
- Likulukulu are turkeys
- Chisindu the quail
- Likhanga the Guinea fowl
Names of birds in Bukusu: edible birds of the wild
- Esoko the weaver bird.
- Sii sii
- Esefu
- Epuriekeke
- Opicho/wapicho
- Engeliangelia
- Mangichorie
- Murimba
- Liusi musietuka
- Liusi libongobongo
- Liusi sit properly
- Liusi ewefwe engo
- Liusi mwichukhulu wa kasawa mbulungulile ngakule
- Nakewa
- Namatore
- Namuriri
- Namusususni Simbikhila
- Sipagilisi
- Tie tie
Learn Bukusu
- How to greet in Bukusu: 10 different ways, for all occasions, to say “Hello” in Bukusu
- Learn how to say the time of day in Bukusu
- Describing weather in Bukusu
- Today tomorrow yesterday in Bukusu
- Days of the week in Bukusu
- Learn Lubukusu: On First fruits and Bukusu culture
- 'Nacha nacha nacha' the play folk song: A fun way to learn Lubukusu – meet the Bukusu words for tortoise, gazelle and more
- 50+ Names of birds in Bukusu, a Luhya language of East Africa
- From caterpillars that sooth children to those that bring death: All about lisa (caterpillars) among the Bukusu
Non edible birds
- Khoro the pied crow.
- Kisilili the hawk.
- Namulobi the hornbill.
- Ngoli the crested crane.
- Engosia marabou stock.
- Tenende the wood pecker.
- Esikhikhi the owl.
- Titingole
- Enyefwe
- Nakholo
- Chetoto
- Kwesule
- Enyange
- Kamakhuyi
- Ling’ang’a
- Nakholo
- Namwetwitwi
- Namuningie
- Siruchu
- Ututu
- Wambundo
- Wetaya
Birds of cultural importance
The following are names of birds in Bukusu that are of cultural importance. For details on how Bukusu culture viewed these birds, check out our post on cultural importance of birds in Bukusu culture.
- Chisoko, singular esoko, the weaver bird and the myth of wealth.
- Nakholo as a good luck charm.
- Kamakhuyi and the myth of impending rains.
- Esikhikhi the owl and the myth of impending death.
Learn Lubukusu
Bukusu language or Lubukusu is the tongue of Babukusu, the largest of the 18 houses of mulembe. Learn how to speak Bukusu language through our free lessons in Bukusu language; our stories on Bukusu culture that harness the richness of Lubukusu in their narrative; our continuous search for the meaning of different Bukusu proverbs and sayings; and if your Lubukusu is already good enough, sharpen and challenge yourself with our new blog sibukusu that covers everything Bukusu in the purest Lubukusu.
Get started with our mega post: 130+ common Bukusu words and phrases their meaning, translation and pronunciation.
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