Scleroptila shelleyi
Silhouette: Francesco Veronesi (vectorized by T. Michal Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Shelley's francolin (Scleroptila shelleyi) is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. The species is named after Sir Edward Shelley, cousin of George Ernest Shelley. IOC 15.1 recognizes the following subspecies: S. s. uluensis
It is found in grassy woodlands and grasslands in Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Shelley's Francolin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 4 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin sighting in Nairobi National Park on a given day, based on 227 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 156th most-seen of the 371 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June and August–September
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin in Nairobi National Park on a given day, against about 10% in May, July and October–March, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Shelley's Francolin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Shelley's Francolin sightings, Nairobi National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 10%) and Akagera National Park (Rwanda, under 5%).
Same family: Phasianidae
The closest relatives of the Shelley's Francolin that you can see in Nairobi National Park (family Phasianidae, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) are Yellow-necked Francolin (about 60%) and Crested Francolin (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Shelley's Francolin is recorded against all the birds logged in Nairobi National Park (227 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.
