Spotted Morning-Thrush

Spotted Morning-Thrush

Cichladusa guttata

Silhouette: Martin Bulla, based on François Desbordes' illustration · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Mkomazi National Park

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

86 Verified sightings at Mkomazi National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,973 In all 16 parks
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Spotted Morning-Thrush

The spotted palm thrush (Cichladusa guttata), also known as the spotted morning-thrush, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family. They are small birds mostly consisting of the colors brown, black, and cream. They can be found in eastern African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. This bird is a forager that has a diet consisting of invertebrates. These birds create a variety of different vocal duets as a form of communication.

The spotted palm thrush measures around 16-17 centimeters (6.3-6.7 inches) long and weighs around 17-30 grams (<0.1 pounds). This bird features a warm brown color from crown to back and wings, with a dark brown eye stripe, and black-arrowed, creamy white underparts. The males and females are monomorphic, having little variance in their appearance regardless of sex.

The spotted palm thrush is located in most parts of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. They can also be found in the easternmost parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:09

Uganda · 2025

© Bernard BOUSQUET · XC1062522 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call1:03

Kenya · 2022

© isaac kilusu · XC711701 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:16

Ethiopia · 2019

© Barry Edmonston · XC531230 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~50%
2 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~50%
3 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~40%
4 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~40%
5 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
6 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
7 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
8 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
9 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
10 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
11 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
12 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
13 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
14 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
15 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
16 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dar es-Salaam 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
2 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Spotted Morning-Thrush in Mkomazi National Park?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Morning-Thrush sighting in Mkomazi National Park on a given day, based on 86 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 272 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Spotted Morning-Thrush in Mkomazi National Park?

January

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Morning-Thrush in Mkomazi National Park on a given day, against about 30% in March, June, August and October, the lowest months. May has too few records to rate.

What time of day is best to see a Spotted Morning-Thrush?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Morning-Thrush sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Mkomazi National Park the best place to see a Spotted Morning-Thrush?

Yes

Of the 16 parks where we can rate Spotted Morning-Thrush sightings, Mkomazi National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 50%) and Lake Manyara National Park (Tanzania, about 40%). All parks ranked.

Which relatives of the Spotted Morning-Thrush live in Mkomazi National Park?

Same family: Muscicapidae

The closest relatives of the Spotted Morning-Thrush that you can see in Mkomazi National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are African Gray Flycatcher (about 40%), Southern Black Flycatcher (about 30%) and White-browed Scrub Robin (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Spotted Morning-Thrush sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Spotted Morning-Thrush is recorded against all the birds logged in Mkomazi National Park (86 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.

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