Nature does not permit easy categorization of birds, and deciding which species fits into each habitat is not always straight forward. For example, in the middle of a vast grassy plain you may find a single thick bush with a bird sitting on top. Which habitat section would you classify and identify your mystery bird? The best place to start would be the Plains section - but if that fails, try the Open woodland, bush and garden section. However, if your bird has long legs and a strong bill that might be used for fishing, then maybe it's a species of heron that has made a quick pit-stop before flying on to the nearest marsh. In this case, you should find it in the Marsh and water section. Similarly, if you see a bird but you're not sure what it is, do try the quick identifiers as per the habitats classified below:

The grassy plains cover the majority of land in the Mara and can be divided into two main types: short and long.
The short grass plains are continually grazed by the game and, in the conservancy lands, also by domestic animals. They provide limited protection for the birds that live there but do allow these species to see danger coming from afar.
Common species include various plovers and the smart Temminck's Courser.
The long grass plains consist of grass species that are not particularly palatable to grazing animals. These areas afford protective cover for ground-nesting birds such as the various bustards, longclaws and larks. Other species, including the Buffy Pipit, prefer to feed on the open short grass plains and nest in the longer grass.

The Mara River is the most significant water body in the reserve but various smaller rivers (e.g. Talek) and streams (e.g. Olare Orok) flow into it. There are also some impressive marshes (e.g. Musiara), ox-bow lakes (many in the Mara Triangle) and permanent pools (e.g. at Keekorok Lodge).
After any substantial rainfall, many grassland areas of the reserve become waterlogged and afford feeding grounds for many typically wetland bird species such as Hamerkop and the Three-banded Plover.

Many camps and lodges are located amongst tall trees which afford some protection from the sun's heat during the middle of the day. Camps such as Naibor, Rekero and Governors' are situated among riverine (or riparian) woodland, while others such as Sarova have a different array of tree species in their impressive gardens.
Several of the larger lodges, such as Keekorok, even have wonderfully manicured gardens with exuberant flowers and lawns, all of which offer superb feeding and breeding sites for a wide array of species not likely to be encountered elsewhere.
An early morning walk, starting around 6.30 am, around the camp or lodge where you are staying, preferably with a guide or bird enthusiast resident at the site, is highly recommended.

A quintessentially African tree family, acacias are a varied mix of hardy trees and bushes that support a unique selection of birds. Although you may see scattered acacia trees almost anywhere in the reserve, the best acacia scrub habitats are found in the north and east of the reserve, primarily on conservancy lands.
Many of the special acacia bird species, such as Silverbird and Abyssinian Scimitarbill cover vast areas in a day - so expect to spend some time searching for them.

As with every other human habitation around the world, the Maasai towns and villages around the reserve are home to some resourceful species that have adapted successfully to a world created by people.
Crows and several species of sparrow and finch are most easily found around these places and many will be common close to some larger camps and lodges too.

The mature forest surrounding Kichwa Tembo/ Bateleur Camp in the north-west of the Mara is the largest fragment of mature forest found in the area and supports a number of special birds that are rarely found elsewhere. In particular, the huge fruiting fig trees are the main attraction to a large forest hornbill, colourful turacos and barbets, not to mention a selection of small unobtrusive birds.

Many birds can be seen flying from one place to another but there are two families of bird that spend most of their lives ‘up in the air’: the swallows and martins and the swifts. Because they can cover such large areas in the course of the day, these birds are likely to be encountered over many different habitats - but their true habitat is the sky where they feed and, in the case of swifts, even mate on the wing.

Owls and nightjars are birds of the night and although you may be fortunate enough to see them during the day, usually roosting but sometimes active, your best chance of an encounter is during a night-drive. The rules of the Mara Reserve do not permit night-drives but if you are staying within one of the conservancies then a night-drive (highly recommended for birds and other animals) might be permitted, so do enquire with the staff. Eg. The Gabon Nightjar is frequently encountered on roads and tracks at night.