Hypocolius ampelinus
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The grey hypocolius or simply hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus) is a small passerine bird species. It is the sole member of the genus Hypocolius and it is placed in a family of its own, the Hypocoliidae. This slender and long tailed bird is found in the dry semi-desert region of northern Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and western India. They fly in flocks and forage mainly on fruit but also some insects, migrating south in winter. During migration they are often found feeding on the fruit of Salvadora persica.
The grey hypocolius is a slim bird with a long tail, slight crest and thick, short hook-tipped bill. Its shape and soft, satiny plumage resembles that of the waxwing. Birds are mainly a uniform grey or brownish-grey colour, with males having a black triangular mask around the eyes. They have white-tipped black primary wing feathers and a black terminal band on the tail. Adults are about 19–21 cm (7.5–8.3 in) in length.
The head feathers are raised when the bird is excited. They fly in a straight non-undulating style and when hopping in shrubbery, can appear like a babbler. The tarsus is short and sturdy with coarse scales. There are rictal bristles visible... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuwait City | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | |
| 2 | Riyadh | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | |
| 3 | Abu Dhabi | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Hypocolius sighting in Riyadh on a given day, based on 32 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 25th most-seen of the 78 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Hypocolius in Riyadh on a given day, against about 10% in April–October and December, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey Hypocolius sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Grey Hypocolius sightings, Riyadh ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kuwait City (Kuwait, about 20%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Grey Hypocolius that you can see in Riyadh (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are House Sparrow (about 90%), White-eared Bulbul (about 90%) and Rüppell's Weaver (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey Hypocolius is recorded against all the birds logged in Riyadh (32 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.
