Eremopterix signatus
Silhouette: Gossipguy and T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The chestnut-headed sparrow-lark (Eremopterix signatus) or chestnut-headed finch-lark is a species of passerine bird in the family Alaudidae. It is found in eastern and north-eastern Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and hot deserts.
The male chestnut-headed sparrow-lark has a black collar and bib, white cheeks and a white circular area on the nape of the crown, surrounded by a chestnut border. This distinguishes it from Fischer's sparrow-lark which lacks the white spot. The female has duller plumage.
This bird is usually found in pairs or small flocks of up to forty birds, often around water holes. It flies low to the ground and may sing in flight or when standing on bare ground. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 4 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 65 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 179th most-seen of the 341 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.
April
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March, May, July and October–November, the lowest months. That is one of Samburu National Reserve's wettest months, with about 95 mm of rain against 5 mm in September.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark 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 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 40%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Lark is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (65 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.
