Eremopterix verticalis
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, based on 111 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 38th most-seen of the 122 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, against about 10% in June and November, the lowest months. That is one of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park's wettest months, with about 40 mm of rain against almost none in July. May has too few records to rate.
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.
2nd of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark sightings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 30%).
Same family: Alaudidae
The closest relatives of the Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark that you can see in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (family Alaudidae, Larks) are Sabota Lark (about 20%) and Fawn-colored Lark (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (111 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.
