Egretta vinaceigula
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The slaty egret (Egretta vinaceigula) is a small, dark egret found in southern Africa. It is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. It is classified as Vulnerable, the biggest threat being habitat loss.
Until 1971, the slaty egret and more widespread black egret Egretta ardesiaca were thought to be colour morphs of the same species but the slaty egret shows consistent features which separate it from the black egret. These are the yellow legs and the vinous brown throat of the slaty egret, which extends down right onto the belly in immature birds. The slaty egret does not display the characteristic "mantling" behaviour of the black egret.
The slaty egret lives in south-central Africa. The largest populations are found in Zambia and Botswana. In Zambia there are maybe 500 to 1,000 individuals, mainly found at Liuwa Plain National Park, Kafue Flats and Lake Bangweulu in some years but there are no confirmed breeding records. In northern Botswana there is a population of probably over 2,000 birds, mainly in the vicinity of the Okavango Delta and Chobe... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 2 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty Egret sighting in Chobe National Park on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 201st most-seen of the 373 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty Egret in Chobe National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–October and December, the lowest months. Those are among Chobe National Park's wettest months, with about 95 mm of rain a month against almost none in May.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Slaty Egret sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Slaty Egret sightings, Chobe National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Moremi Game Reserve (Botswana, about 30%).
Same genus: Egretta
The closest relatives of the Slaty Egret that you can see in Chobe National Park (genus Egretta, Small Egrets and Herons) are Little Egret (about 40%), intermediate egret (about 20%) and Black Heron (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Slaty Egret is recorded against all the birds logged in Chobe National Park (56 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.
