Odontospiza caniceps
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The grey-headed silverbill (Spermestes griseicapilla), also known as pearl-headed mannikin, is a species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Tanzania. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi). It was formerly usually placed in the monotypic genus Odontospiza as Odontospiza caniceps and sometimes placed in the genus Lonchura.
The grey-headed silverbill is a stocky bird with a grey head studded with white dots. Its body is greyish-brown with partly black wings and tail and a white rump. The juvenile can be told by its white rump. Adult male is approximately 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length with wing length 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
The grey-headed silverbill is commonly found in dry savanna habitat but never too far away from water. It wanders widely, influenced by weather and shifting availability of sources of water. The grey-headed silverbill is gregarious, moving in small flocks and often mixing with African silverbill.
The grey-headed silverbill feeds mostly on grass seeds. But it has been suggested that the species also feed on insects... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-headed Mannikin sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 102 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 277th most-seen of the 519 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.
February and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-headed Mannikin in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in March–October and December–January, the lowest months. Those are among Ngorongoro Conservation Area's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pearl-headed Mannikin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Pearl-headed Mannikin sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 10%).
Same family: Estrildidae
The closest relatives of the Pearl-headed Mannikin that you can see in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (family Estrildidae, Waxbills and Allies) are Blue-capped Cordonbleu (about 20%), Purple Grenadier (about 20%) and Black-faced Waxbill (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pearl-headed Mannikin is recorded against all the birds logged in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (102 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.
