Tchagra jamesi
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The three-streaked tchagra (Tchagra jamesi) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae, which is an uncommon resident of semi-desert regions in the eastern Afrotropics. The binomial of this bird commemorates the explorer Frank Linsly James, who also had the Frank James Memorial Hospital built in his honour.
It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is a small tchagra, measuring 16–17 cm from bill tip to tail tip. They are distinct from other tchagra species in having a narrow, black median stripe over the crown, without any superciliary stripe. In addition the tertials and rectrices are mouse-brown in colour.
The male displays by fripping the wings in flight, followed by a series of down-slurred whistles. They feed to a large extent on insects, but may in addition prey on chicks of other birds. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Three-streaked Tchagra sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 82 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 174th 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.
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Three-streaked Tchagra in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in February–March, May and October, 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 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Three-streaked Tchagra 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 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Three-streaked Tchagra sightings, Samburu National Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 20%).
Same family: Malaconotidae
The closest relatives of the Three-streaked Tchagra that you can see in Samburu National Reserve (family Malaconotidae, Bushshrikes and Allies) are Slate-colored Boubou (about 50%), Rosy-patched Bushshrike (about 50%) and Brubru (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Three-streaked Tchagra is recorded against all the birds logged in Samburu National Reserve (82 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.
