One of the birds I really wanted to see in Samburu was the Somali bee-eater. This species, as the name suggests, is common in Somalia, occurring in eastern Ethiopia but occasionally in Kenya as well, including in the Samburu. We traveled in the park for two days without a glimpse of it. But on the second day's night, my guide shouted: A Somali bee-eater! I was worried about the fact that the light was fading, but we got pretty close with the jeep and I got a portrait of this, the next smallest (16-18 cm, 6.3-7.1 in) and for me until now unknown bee-eater. It deviates somewhat from most bee-eaters by the fact that the plumage on the head is often spiky, and that it is more solitary than others. It e.g. does not build its nest in colonies but each couple chooses their own location for breeding.