Scleroptila elgonensis
Silhouette: Francesco Veronesi (vectorized by T. Michal Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The Elgon francolin (Scleroptila elgonensis) is a francolin found in moorland at altitudes above 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) from eastern Uganda (Mount Elgon) to central Kenya. It was described by Ogilvie-Grant in 1891 as Francolinus elgonensis, and some authorities still use the genus Francolinus for all members otherwise placed in Scleroptila. It was previously considered a subspecies of the moorland francolin (S. psilolaema), which is now thought to be endemic to Ethiopia. Alternatively, it was suggested as a subspecies of the Shelley's francolin (S. shelleyi elgonensis), or even a hybrid between the moorland and red-winged francolins. However, it was split as a distinct species by the IUCN Red List and BirdLife International in 2014, and by the International Ornithological Congress in 2022 based on a 2019 study. The Elgon francolin resembles the moorland francolin, but the latter is duller (less rufescent) and has a black-dotted throat, and also differs in vocalizations. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aberdare National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Elgon Francolin sighting in Aberdare National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 183rd most-seen of the 217 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Elgon Francolin in Aberdare National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May–October and December–March, the lowest months.
Only Aberdare National Park, in our data
Aberdare National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Elgon Francolin sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Phasianidae
The closest relatives of the Elgon Francolin that you can see in Aberdare National Park (family Phasianidae, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) are Jackson's Francolin (about 60%) and Scaly Francolin (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Elgon Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Aberdare National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
