Buff-bellied Warbler

Buff-bellied Warbler

Phyllolais pulchella

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Nairobi National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

315 Verified sightings at Nairobi National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,804 In all 17 parks
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Buff-bellied Warbler

The buff-bellied warbler (Phyllolais pulchella) is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is monotypic within the genus Phyllolais. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

It is a small, dull coloured warbler found in savanna and acacia woodland. It particularly favours Acacia xanthophloea and Acacia abyssinica and can often be seen foraging among the branches in pairs or small groups. It is inconspicuous in its habits but can often be seen feeding in mix-species flocks.

Ryan, Peter (2006). Family Cisticolidae (Cisticolas and allies). pp. 378–492 in del Hoyo J., Elliott A. & Christie D.A. (2006) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11. Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers Lynx Edicions, Barcelona ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4 Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:20

Kenya · 2021

© isaac kilusu · XC647030 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:29

Kenya · 2015

© Rory Nefdt · XC398909 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:57

Tanzania · 2019

© Peter Boesman · XC510322 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
2 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
3 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
4 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
5 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
6 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
7 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
8 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
9 Awash National Park 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
~10%
10 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
11 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
12 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
13 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
14 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
15 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
16 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%
17 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
2 Kigali 🇷🇼 Rwanda
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Buff-bellied Warbler in Nairobi National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-bellied Warbler sighting in Nairobi National Park on a given day, based on 315 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 129th most-seen of the 371 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Buff-bellied Warbler in Nairobi National Park?

March

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Buff-bellied Warbler in Nairobi National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Buff-bellied Warbler?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Buff-bellied Warbler 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 Nairobi National Park the best place to see a Buff-bellied Warbler?

Yes

Of the 17 parks where we can rate Buff-bellied Warbler sightings, Nairobi National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 20%) and Kidepo Valley National Park (Uganda, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Buff-bellied Warbler live in Nairobi National Park?

Same family: Cisticolidae

The closest relatives of the Buff-bellied Warbler that you can see in Nairobi National Park (family Cisticolidae, Cisticolas and Allies) are Winding Cisticola (about 50%), Yellow-breasted Apalis (about 40%) and Green-backed Camaroptera (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Buff-bellied Warbler sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Buff-bellied Warbler is recorded against all the birds logged in Nairobi National Park (315 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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