Laniarius mufumbiri
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The papyrus gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It has specialised habitat requirements, being restricted to papyrus swamps. Not yet a threatened species, it has become rare due to habitat loss and pollution.
The papyrus gonolek is a medium-sized bush-shrike some 18 cm (7 in) long. The sexes are similar; the crown is dull yellow, the head, upper parts, wings and tail are black apart from a broad white bar on the wings. The breast and upper belly are vivid orange-crimson, and the lower belly whitish.
This species is difficult to observe and has been little studied. It occurs singly or in pairs in papyrus swamps, lurking among the vegetation and only flying occasionally, usually a short distance over water to another patch of papyrus. Its presence can often be detected by its calls, which consist of brief whistles and grating tearing sounds which have been rendered as "U-tzeu-U-tzee". Sometimes two birds duet. The diet consists mainly of insects such as beetles, flies and ants, but also includes snails, fruit and seeds... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 5 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Papyrus Gonolek sighting in Akagera National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 229th most-seen of the 320 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–March and July–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Papyrus Gonolek in Akagera National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–June and October–December, the lowest months.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Papyrus Gonolek sightings, Akagera National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 10%), Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 10%) and Kibale National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
Same genus: Laniarius
The closest relatives of the Papyrus Gonolek that you can see in Akagera National Park (genus Laniarius, Boubous and Gonoleks) are Black-headed Gonolek (about 50%), Tropical Boubou (about 30%) and Slate-colored Boubou (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Papyrus Gonolek is recorded against all the birds logged in Akagera National Park (20 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.
