Magpie Mannikin

Magpie Mannikin

Lonchura fringilloides

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kakum National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

18 Verified sightings at Kakum National Park From 2019 to 2026
272 In all 4 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Magpie Mannikin

The magpie mannikin or magpie munia (Spermestes fringilloides) is a species of estrildid finch, sparsely present across Sub-Saharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,400,000 km2. It is found in subtropical/ tropical (lowland) moist shrubland, forest and dry grassland habitat. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

BirdLife Species Factsheet Magpie mannikin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.

Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
2 Semuliki National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
3 Kakum National Park 🇬🇭 Ghana
<5%
4 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
2 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 San Diego Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Magpie Mannikin in Kakum National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Mannikin sighting in Kakum National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 201st most-seen of the 250 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Magpie Mannikin in Kakum National Park?

July, October and December

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Mannikin in Kakum National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–June, August–September and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Magpie Mannikin?

Between 3 and 6 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Magpie Mannikin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kakum National Park the best place to see a Magpie Mannikin?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Magpie Mannikin sightings, Kakum National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kibale National Park (Uganda, about 10%) and Semuliki National Park (Uganda, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Magpie Mannikin live in Kakum National Park?

Same genus: Lonchura

The closest relatives of the Magpie Mannikin that you can see in Kakum National Park (genus Lonchura, Typical Munias and Mannikins) are Black-and-white Mannikin (about 20%) and Bronze Mannikin (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Magpie Mannikin sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Magpie Mannikin is recorded against all the birds logged in Kakum National Park (18 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.

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