Mandingoa nitidula
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The green-backed twinspot or green twinspot (Mandingoa nitidula) is an estrildid finch found in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern. The green-backed twinspot has four sub-species:
Mandingoa nitidula chubbi Mandingoa nitidula nitidula Mandingoa nitidula schlegeli Mandingoa nitidula virginiae The green-backed twinspot inhabits lowland moist forests of the tropical region. It may also be found in grassland and shrubland habitats.
Males are distinguished from females by their bright red facial feathers. Females have an olive-green face and darker (almost black) beak. The green backed twinspot prefers its privacy in regards to breeding. Males in the breeding season will raise their heads, looking straight up while "dancing" on the perch next to the female, moving in a side-stepping fashion. The female, if receptive, will crouch down and point her tail to the male. Green backed twinspots tend to pair with one female and care for her and the young while breeding. Up to four eggs are laid about five days after mating, usually one daily. The female will go in and out of the nest frequently... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 7 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Green-backed Twinspot sighting in Arusha National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 286th most-seen of the 373 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green-backed Twinspot in Arusha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green-backed Twinspot sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Green-backed Twinspot sightings, Arusha National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (South Africa, about 10%), uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, under 5%) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Uganda, under 5%).
Same family: Estrildidae
The closest relatives of the Green-backed Twinspot that you can see in Arusha National Park (family Estrildidae, Waxbills and Allies) are Black-and-white Mannikin (about 20%), Bronze Mannikin (about 20%) and Red-billed Firefinch (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Green-backed Twinspot is recorded against all the birds logged in Arusha National Park (14 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.
