Odontospiza caniceps
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The grey-headed silverbill (Spermestes griseicapilla), also known as pearl-headed mannikin, is a species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Tanzania. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi). It was formerly usually placed in the monotypic genus Odontospiza as Odontospiza caniceps and sometimes placed in the genus Lonchura.
The grey-headed silverbill is a stocky bird with a grey head studded with white dots. Its body is greyish-brown with partly black wings and tail and a white rump. The juvenile can be told by its white rump. Adult male is approximately 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length with wing length 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
The grey-headed silverbill is commonly found in dry savanna habitat but never too far away from water. It wanders widely, influenced by weather and shifting availability of sources of water. The grey-headed silverbill is gregarious, moving in small flocks and often mixing with African silverbill.
The grey-headed silverbill feeds mostly on grass seeds. But it has been suggested that the species also feed on insects... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-headed Mannikin sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 287th most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pearl-headed Mannikin in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Samburu National Reserve's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 95 mm in April.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pearl-headed Mannikin sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate Pearl-headed Mannikin sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Serengeti National Park (Tanzania, about 10%), Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania, under 5%) and Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, under 5%).
Same family: Estrildidae
The closest relatives of the Pearl-headed Mannikin that you can see in Samburu National Reserve (family Estrildidae, Waxbills and Allies) are Cut-throat (about 30%), Red-billed Firefinch (about 20%) and Blue-capped Cordonbleu (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pearl-headed Mannikin is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (13 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.
