Sombre Nightjar

Sombre Nightjar

Caprimulgus fraenatus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Nairobi National Park

In 3 days <5%

13 Verified sightings at Nairobi National Park From 2019 to 2026
56 In all 5 parks
January Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Sombre Nightjar

The sombre nightjar or dusky nightjar (Caprimulgus fraenatus) is a species of nightjar in the family Caprimulgidae. It is native to East Africa. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:16

Kenya · 2022

© Tobby Odhacha · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
2 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
3 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
4 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
5 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Sombre Nightjar in Nairobi National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sombre Nightjar sighting in Nairobi National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 342nd most-seen of the 371 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Sombre Nightjar in Nairobi National Park?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sombre Nightjar in Nairobi National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Sombre Nightjar?

Between 6 and 9 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sombre 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.

Is Nairobi National Park the best place to see a Sombre Nightjar?

Among the best

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Sombre Nightjar sightings, Nairobi National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, under 5%).

Where does the Sombre Nightjar sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Sombre Nightjar is recorded against all the birds logged in Nairobi National Park (13 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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