Emberiza poliopleura
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The Somali bunting or Somali golden-breasted bunting (Emberiza poliopleura) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, typically observed in pairs.
The Somali Bunting is a medium-large bunting, 14–15 cm (5.5–5.9 in) long, and weigh 14–18 g (0.49–0.63 oz). It is an attractive passerine, its distinctive features include a striking black-and-white facial pattern, a grey back streaked with russet, a grey rump, and a bright yellow breast with pale flanks. Females are duller than males, with brown wash on head. Juveniles are similar to females.
Similar to the closely related Golden-breasted Bunting, but the Somali Bunting exhibits a generally paler coloration, narrower black facial stripes, a more subdued gray back and rump, and pronounced pale sides. In addition, its preferred habitat is drier, and range overlap with the Golden-breasted Bunting is minimal.
Vocalization includes a repeated series of short, whistled phrases, each composed of two distinct notes; one of which is a long ascending whistle. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 5 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bunting sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 187 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 100th most-seen of the 341 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November and December
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Somali Bunting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in March, the lowest month. Those are among Samburu National Reserve's wettest months, with about 60 mm of rain a month against 5 mm in September.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Somali Bunting sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Somali Bunting sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 30%) and Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Somali Bunting is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (187 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.
