Scleroptila shelleyi
Silhouette: Francesco Veronesi (vectorized by T. Michal Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
Shelley's francolin (Scleroptila shelleyi) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. The species is named after Sir Edward Shelley, cousin of George Ernest Shelley. IOC 15.1 recognizes the following subspecies: S. s. uluensis
It is found in grassy woodlands and grasslands in Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Shelley's Francolin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 74 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 322nd most-seen of the 464 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin in Kruger National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Shelley's Francolin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 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 Shelley's Francolin sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%), Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 10%) and Akagera National Park (Rwanda, under 5%).
Same family: Phasianidae
The closest relatives of the Shelley's Francolin that you can see in Kruger National Park (family Phasianidae, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) are Natal Francolin (about 60%), Swainson's Francolin (about 40%) and Crested Francolin (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Shelley's Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Kruger National Park (74 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.
