Nilaus afer
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The brubru (Nilaus afer) is a species of bushshrike (family Malaconotidae) found in most of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only member of the genus Nilaus. Slight plumage and size variations reflect different ecological niches. The subspecies include:
Nilaus afer afer — West Africa, with distinctive male plumage Nilaus afer massaicus — East Africa, including northeastern Uganda Nilaus afer minor — East Africa, including Kenya and Tanzania Nilaus afer nigritemporalis — Katanga region of DRC and adjacent Zambia
Nilaus afer solivagus — Southern Africa and southern Zambia Its habitat is dry open woodland, but varies geographically. The six northern races and the subspecies N. a. Brubru of southern Africa are found in acacia and broadleaved woodland, whereas the three subspecies in a belt from northeastern Angola and northern Namibia east to Tanzania and northern Mozambique occur in Brachystegia miombo woodland.
The brubru is a small passerine, 12–15 cm long. The adult male of the nominate subspecies, N. a. afer, has a black crown, white supercilium and forehead... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brubru sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 146th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brubru in Johannesburg on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brubru sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Brubru sightings, Johannesburg ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Harare (Zimbabwe, under 5%).
Same family: Malaconotidae
The closest relatives of the Brubru that you can see in Johannesburg (family Malaconotidae, Bushshrikes and Allies) are Southern Boubou (about 10%) and Black-backed Puffback (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brubru is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (25 verified sightings), 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.
