Papyrus Gonolek

Papyrus Gonolek

Laniarius mufumbiri

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCNTNear ThreatenedVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kampala

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

25 Verified sightings at Kampala
464 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month

About the Papyrus Gonolek

The papyrus gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It has specialised habitat requirements, being restricted to papyrus swamps. Not yet a threatened species, it has become rare due to habitat loss and pollution.

The papyrus gonolek is a medium-sized bush-shrike some 18 cm (7 in) long. The sexes are similar; the crown is dull yellow, the head, upper parts, wings and tail are black apart from a broad white bar on the wings. The breast and upper belly are vivid orange-crimson, and the lower belly whitish.

This species is difficult to observe and has been little studied. It occurs singly or in pairs in papyrus swamps, lurking among the vegetation and only flying occasionally, usually a short distance over water to another patch of papyrus. Its presence can often be detected by its calls, which consist of brief whistles and grating tearing sounds which have been rendered as "U-tzeu-U-tzee". Sometimes two birds duet. The diet consists mainly of insects such as beetles, flies and ants, but also includes snails, fruit and seeds... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:38

Uganda · 2025

© Bernard BOUSQUET · XC1063889 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:45

Uganda · 2018

© Andrew Spencer · XC430504 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Duet0:09

Rwanda · 2010

© Jason Anderson · XC75924 · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
2 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
3 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
4 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
5 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
6 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
2 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Papyrus Gonolek in Kampala?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Papyrus Gonolek sighting in Kampala on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 218th most-seen of the 332 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.

When is the best time to see a Papyrus Gonolek in Kampala?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Papyrus Gonolek in Kampala on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is Kampala the best place to see a Papyrus Gonolek?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Papyrus Gonolek sightings, Kampala ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kigali (Rwanda, under 5%).

Where does the Papyrus Gonolek sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Papyrus Gonolek is recorded against all the birds logged in Kampala (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.

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