Silhouette: Enoch Joseph Wetsy (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

Speckled Mousebird

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

Likely. About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Mousebird sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 1,224 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 519 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

April. In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, against about 30% in June and July, the lowest months. That is one of Ngorongoro Conservation Area's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against almost none in July.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Speckled Mousebird?

Between 7 and 10 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Speckled Mousebird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Ngorongoro Conservation Area the best place to see a Speckled Mousebird?

12th of 43. Of the 43 parks where we can rate Speckled Mousebird sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 12th at about 50%. The best odds are in Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 70%), Akagera National Park (Rwanda, about 70%) and Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 70%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Speckled Mousebird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Speckled Mousebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (1,224 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.

Colius striatus

Silhouette: Enoch Joseph Wetsy (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderColiiformes (Mousebirds)
FamilyColiidae (Mousebirds)
GenusColius (Typical Mousebirds)
SpeciesColius striatus (Speckled Mousebird)

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

1,224 Verified sightings at Ngorongoro Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026

19,330 In all 43 parks

April Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Speckled Mousebird

The speckled mousebird (Colius striatus) is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. It is found throughout most of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. The speckled mousebird was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the mousebirds in the genus Colius and coined the binomial name Colius striatus. Gmelin based his description on the "Coliou rayé" that had been described in 1778 by the French polymath Comte de Buffon from a specimen that had been collected near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

Seventeen subspecies are recognised: Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:39

South Africa · 2026

Song0:37

Zambia · 2023

Alarm call0:33

Kenya · 2022

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 32 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~70%
2	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~70%
3	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
4	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~60%
5	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
6	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
7	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~60%
8	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
9	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~50%
10	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
11	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
12	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
13	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
14	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~50%
15	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~50%
16	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~50%
17	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
18	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
19	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
20	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
21	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
22	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
23	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
24	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~30%
25	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
26	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
27	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
28	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~30%
29	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
30	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
31	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
32	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
33	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
34	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
35	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
36	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
37	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
38	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
39	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
40	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
41	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
42	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	<5%
43	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Brazzaville	🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo	~80%
2	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~80%
3	Yaoundé	🇨🇲 Cameroon	~80%
4	Addis Ababa	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~70%
5	Nairobi	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
6	Mombasa	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
7	Durban	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
8	Bujumbura	🇧🇮 Burundi	~60%
9	Pretoria	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
10	Johannesburg	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
3	Barcelona Zoo	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
4	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
7	Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Milwaukee County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
9	Slimbridge Wetland Centre	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
10	Detroit Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
11	Warsaw Zoo	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
12	Woodland Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	In captivity
14	Oregon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	Blank Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Philadelphia Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Honolulu Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
19	Schönbrunn Zoo	🇦🇹 Austria	In captivity
20	Hogle Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Bird Paradise	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
22	Aquarama Barcelona	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
23	Rainforest Wild Asia	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
24	Monkeyland	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
25	Discovery Cove	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	Alameda Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Tracy Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
28	Central Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	Birds of Eden	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
30	National Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	herpetarium warszawskiego ZOO	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
32	akwarium warszawskiego ZOO	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity

Show all 32 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Urocolius macrourus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Numida meleagris

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Lamprotornis superbus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Vanellus armatus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Phoenicopterus roseus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Buteo augur

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Ardeotis kori

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Phoeniconaias minor

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Struthio camelus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Ardea melanocephala

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Vanellus coronatus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Mousebird sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, based on 1,224 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 519 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

April

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area on a given day, against about 30% in June and July, the lowest months. That is one of Ngorongoro Conservation Area's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against almost none in July.

What time of day is best to see a Speckled Mousebird?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Speckled Mousebird sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Ngorongoro Conservation Area the best place to see a Speckled Mousebird?

12th of 43

Of the 43 parks where we can rate Speckled Mousebird sightings, Ngorongoro Conservation Area ranks 12th at about 50%. The best odds are in Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 70%), Akagera National Park (Rwanda, about 70%) and Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 70%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Speckled Mousebird sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Speckled Mousebird is recorded against all the birds logged in Ngorongoro Conservation Area (1,224 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.

← Back to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Speckled Mousebird

About the Speckled Mousebird

Sounds

Recent sightings of Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Blue-naped Mousebird

Helmeted Guineafowl

Superb Starling

Blacksmith Lapwing

Greater Flamingo

Augur Buzzard

Kori Bustard

Egyptian Goose

Lesser Flamingo

Common Ostrich

Black-headed Heron

Crowned Lapwing

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

When is the best time to see a Speckled Mousebird in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

What time of day is best to see a Speckled Mousebird?

Is Ngorongoro Conservation Area the best place to see a Speckled Mousebird?

Where does the Speckled Mousebird sighting chance come from?