Cichladusa arquata
Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The collared palm thrush (Cichladusa arquata) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
The Collared palm thrush is an odd and distinctive bird, easily recognized by its unique features. With a gray head, pale eye, and striking rufous back, it stands out among its feathered counterparts. One of its most defining characteristics is the black mark outlining its throat. This bird prefers to inhabit thickets within palm savannas, where its beautiful song fills the air. Its distinctive song consists of a series of airy, wailing notes, accompanied by chattering and rasping calls. While it may bear some resemblance to the Spotted Morning-Thrush, the Collared thrush stands apart with its pale eye, bright rufous back, and absence of spotting below. Although it shares similarities with nightingales and scrub-robins, the black throat markings serve as a clear distinguishing feature.
Image at ADW Collared palm... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 2 | Mikumi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 4 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 6 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 7 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 10 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 12 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Collared Palmthrush sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, based on 47 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 120th most-seen of the 241 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May, July and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Collared Palmthrush in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, against about 10% in June, August–September and November–January, the lowest months. Those are among Lower Zambezi National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 290 mm in January. February and March have too few records to rate.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Collared Palmthrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Collared Palmthrush sightings, Lower Zambezi National Park ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Liwonde National Park (Malawi, about 70%), Mikumi National Park (Tanzania, about 30%) and Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique, about 20%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the Collared Palmthrush that you can see in Lower Zambezi National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are White-browed Robin-Chat (about 30%), Ashy Alseonax (about 20%) and Bearded Scrub Robin (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Collared Palmthrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Lower Zambezi National Park (47 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.
