Sarothrura elegans
Silhouette: Andrew Smith (original) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The buff-spotted flufftail (Sarothrura elegans), also known as the buff-spotted crake, is a species of bird in the family Sarothruridae. The male has an orange head, neck, and breast, with a sooty-black body covered in buff or white spots. The female is mostly brownish, barred and spotted with black and buff. In general size, this bird measures 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in) in length and has a wingspan of 25–28 cm (9.8–11.0 in). It weighs about 46 g (1.6 oz) on average.
Subspecies S. e. reichenovi is smaller than the nominate, and the males are darker above and have larger spots. The buff-spotted flufftail inhabits many types of forested areas in Africa. Its diet is semi-omnivorous, consisting of various invertebrates as well as grass and tree seeds, which are thought to aid it in grinding other foods. It mainly forages through leaf litter. They will drink water daily, sometimes several times a day. It rarely flies.
The buff-spotted flufftail is monogamous and territorial, and maintains pair bonds through the breeding season, which varies significantly by location. Its nest is on the ground and is well covered by plants... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-spotted Flufftail sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 96 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 186th most-seen of the 351 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-spotted Flufftail in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in February to September, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Buff-spotted Flufftail sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Buff-spotted Flufftail sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Semuliki National Park (Uganda, under 5%) and Garden Route National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
Same family: Rallidae
The closest relatives of the Buff-spotted Flufftail that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (family Rallidae, Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) are Black Crake (about 20%), Western Swamphen (about 10%) and Common Moorhen (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Buff-spotted Flufftail is recorded against all the birds logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (96 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.
