Caprimulgus tristigma
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The freckled nightjar or freckled rock nightjar (Caprimulgus tristigma) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It has a wide yet patchy distribution throughout the Afrotropics. This species occurs throughout sub-Saharan African in localized populations. It is scarce in western Africa, occurring more commonly in the East. In the southern part of the continent, it is a year-round resident of the colder and drier areas, occurring most commonly in Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana, western Mozambique, and eastern South Africa.
It has been found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The freckled nightjar is a large, powerfully-build species of nightjar with long wings and relatively short tails. They lack any prominent markings and appear dark gray or nearly black from a distance. At closer range, white, cinnamon... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 6 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 9 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 10 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 13 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Freckled Nightjar sighting in Mana Pools National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 235th most-seen of the 275 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.
December
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Freckled Nightjar in Mana Pools National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and April–November, the lowest months. That is one of Mana Pools National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against almost none in August. March has too few records to rate.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Freckled Nightjar sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
8th of 14
Of the 14 parks where we can rate Freckled Nightjar sightings, Mana Pools National Park ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Kidepo Valley National Park (Uganda, about 10%), Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 10%) and Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
Same genus: Caprimulgus
The closest relatives of the Freckled Nightjar that you can see in Mana Pools National Park (genus Caprimulgus, Old World Nightjars) are Fiery-necked Nightjar (about 10%) and Square-tailed Nightjar (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Freckled Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Mana Pools National Park (11 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.
