Scleroptila shelleyi
Silhouette: Francesco Veronesi (vectorized by T. Michal Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
Shelley's francolin (Scleroptila shelleyi) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. The species is named after Sir Edward Shelley, cousin of George Ernest Shelley. IOC 15.1 recognizes the following subspecies: S. s. uluensis
It is found in grassy woodlands and grasslands in Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Shelley's Francolin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin sighting in Akagera National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 272nd most-seen of the 320 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin in Akagera National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to March, the lowest months. That is one of Akagera National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Shelley's Francolin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Shelley's Francolin sightings, Akagera National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%) and Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Shelley's Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Akagera National Park (11 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.
