Scleroptila shelleyi
Silhouette: Francesco Veronesi (vectorized by T. Michal Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 445th most-seen of the 519 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
6th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Shelley's Francolin sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%), 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 Ngorongoro Conservation Area (family Phasianidae, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) are Grey-breasted Francolin (about 20%), Hildebrandt's Francolin (about 20%) and Coqui Francolin (about 10%), 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 Ngorongoro Conservation Area (14 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.
