Emberiza poliopleura
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Somali bunting or Somali golden-breasted bunting (Emberiza poliopleura) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, typically observed in pairs.
The Somali Bunting is a medium-large bunting, 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) long, and weigh 14–18 g (0.49–0.63 oz). It is an attractive passerine, its distinctive features include a striking black-and-white facial pattern, a grey back streaked with russet, a grey rump, and a bright yellow breast with pale flanks. Females are duller than males, with brown wash on head. Juveniles are similar to females.
Similar to the closely related Golden-breasted Bunting, but the Somali Bunting exhibits a generally paler coloration, narrower black facial stripes, a more subdued gray back and rump, and pronounced pale sides. In addition, its preferred habitat is drier, and range overlap with the Golden-breasted Bunting is minimal.
Vocalization includes a repeated series of short, whistled phrases, each composed of two distinct notes; one of which is a long ascending whistle. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bunting sighting in Mkomazi National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 220th most-seen of the 272 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and June–July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bunting in Mkomazi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April and August–February, the lowest months. Those are among Mkomazi National Park's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain a month against 150 mm in December. May has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Somali Bunting sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Somali Bunting sightings, Mkomazi National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 30%), Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 30%) and Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 20%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Somali Bunting that you can see in Mkomazi National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (about 60%), Superb Starling (about 60%) and Northern White-crowned Shrike (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Somali Bunting is recorded against all the birds logged in Mkomazi National Park (9 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.
