Emberiza poliopleura
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Somali bunting or Somali golden-breasted bunting (Emberiza poliopleura) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, typically observed in pairs.
The Somali Bunting is a medium-large bunting, 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) long, and weigh 14–18 g (0.49–0.63 oz). It is an attractive passerine, its distinctive features include a striking black-and-white facial pattern, a grey back streaked with russet, a grey rump, and a bright yellow breast with pale flanks. Females are duller than males, with brown wash on head. Juveniles are similar to females.
Similar to the closely related Golden-breasted Bunting, but the Somali Bunting exhibits a generally paler coloration, narrower black facial stripes, a more subdued gray back and rump, and pronounced pale sides. In addition, its preferred habitat is drier, and range overlap with the Golden-breasted Bunting is minimal.
Vocalization includes a repeated series of short, whistled phrases, each composed of two distinct notes; one of which is a long ascending whistle. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bunting sighting in Awash National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 199th most-seen of the 217 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.
April and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bunting in Awash National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, August and October–January, the lowest months. Those are among Awash National Park's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain a month against 10 mm in January. February–March, May and September have too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Somali Bunting sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Somali Bunting sightings, Awash National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 30%), Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 30%) and Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 20%).
Same genus: Emberiza
The closest relatives of the Somali Bunting that you can see in Awash National Park (genus Emberiza, Old World Buntings) are Striolated Bunting (about 20%) and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Somali Bunting is recorded against all the birds logged in Awash National Park (5 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.
