Marsh Tchagra

Marsh Tchagra

Bocagia minuta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Queen Elizabeth National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%

83 Verified sightings at Queen Elizabeth National Park From 2019 to 2026
129 In all 3 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Marsh Tchagra

The marsh tchagra or blackcap bush-shrike (Bocagia minuta) is a species of passerine bird placed in the monotypic genus Bocagia in the family Malaconotidae. It is native to marshes in the tropics and subtropics of Africa. It is sometimes placed in the genus Tchagra.

The marsh tchagra was described by the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub in 1858 and given the binomial name Telephonus minutus. The species is now placed in the monotypic genus Bocagia that was introduced by the English ornithologist George Ernest Shelley in 1894.

Three subspecies are recognised. The subspecies B. m. anchietae is sometimes separated as Anchieta's tchagra. It is widely distributed across central Africa and is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
2 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
3 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Brazzaville 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Marsh Tchagra in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Marsh Tchagra sighting in Queen Elizabeth National Park on a given day, based on 83 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 199th most-seen of the 434 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Marsh Tchagra in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

July–September and November–January

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Marsh Tchagra in Queen Elizabeth National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–June and October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Marsh Tchagra?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Marsh Tchagra 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 Queen Elizabeth National Park the best place to see a Marsh Tchagra?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Marsh Tchagra sightings, Queen Elizabeth National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Kibale National Park (Uganda, under 5%) and Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Marsh Tchagra live in Queen Elizabeth National Park?

Same family: Malaconotidae

The closest relatives of the Marsh Tchagra that you can see in Queen Elizabeth National Park (family Malaconotidae, Bushshrikes and Allies) are Black-headed Gonolek (about 70%), Black-crowned Tchagra (about 20%) and Papyrus Gonolek (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Marsh Tchagra sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Marsh Tchagra is recorded against all the birds logged in Queen Elizabeth National Park (83 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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