Eremopterix verticalis
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10%
The grey-backed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix verticalis) or grey-backed finch-lark is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in southern and south-central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. Sometimes, the name 'grey-backed sparrow-lark' is also used to describe the black-eared sparrow-lark.
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Grey-backed sparrow-lark Structured guide to the species in southern Africa Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 5 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 274th most-seen of the 308 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–June, the lowest months. Those are among Hwange National Park's driest months, with almost no rain against 150 mm in January.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey-backed Sparrow-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.
5th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 30%), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 20%) and Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Hwange National Park (8 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.
