Mirafra passerina
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The monotonous lark (Mirafra passerina) is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae found in southern Africa. The alternate names "white-tailed lark" and "white-tailed bush-lark" should not be confused with the species of the same name, Mirafra albicauda. Other alternate names include monotonous bush lark and Southern white-tailed bush-lark.
A medium-small, compact lark with a small bill, a plain face, and an indistinct eyebrow. It has streaky upperparts with a distinct rufous wing panel and a lightly-streaked buffy chest that separates the white throat from the pale belly.
The range of the monotonous lark is quite broad, extending over six countries: Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its global extent of occurrence is estimated at 1,400,000 km2. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
Compilers: Stuart Butchart, Jonathan Ekstrom (2008). "Monotonous Lark - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Evaluators: Jeremy Bird, Stuart Butchart. BirdLife International. Retrieved May 11, 2009. "Territory establishment... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Monotonous Lark sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 215th most-seen of the 260 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.
December and January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Monotonous Lark in Etosha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to November, the lowest months. Those are among Etosha National Park's wettest months, with about 60 mm of rain a month against almost none in June.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Monotonous Lark 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 4 parks where we can rate Monotonous Lark sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, under 5%), Pilanesberg National Park (South Africa, under 5%) and Kruger National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
Same family: Alaudidae
The closest relatives of the Monotonous Lark that you can see in Etosha National Park (family Alaudidae, Larks) are Sabota Lark (about 40%), Red-capped Lark (about 40%) and Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Monotonous Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Etosha National Park (21 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.
