Scleroptila shelleyi
Silhouette: Francesco Veronesi (vectorized by T. Michal Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin sighting in Ruaha National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 180th most-seen of the 276 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, July and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Shelley's Francolin in Ruaha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–May and August–October, the lowest months. Those are among Ruaha National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against almost none in June.
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.
Among the best
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Shelley's Francolin sightings, Ruaha National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 10%).
Same family: Phasianidae
The closest relatives of the Shelley's Francolin that you can see in Ruaha National Park (family Phasianidae, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) are Red-necked Francolin (about 80%), Crested Francolin (about 50%) and Hildebrandt's Francolin (about 20%), 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 Ruaha National Park (16 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.
