Lanius excubitoroides
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The grey-backed fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides) is a species of bird in the family Laniidae. It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
This is a large shrike with a length of about 25 cm (10 in). The head of the male has a grey crown, a white supercilium and a large black mask. The upper parts are medium grey, the rump is white, the wings are blackish, with a white patch which is conspicuous in flight, and the long tail has a white base and a black tip. The underparts and base of the underside of the tail are white. The female is similar but has patches of chestnut on the flanks that are visible during display and when the bird is preening. The juvenile is brownish with brown wings and tail and is heavily barred with grey.
The grey-backed fiscal is a sociable bird and is often found in wooded grassland, gardens and damp acacia scrub. It is often seen in pairs or small groups on tree stumps, wires and branches, engaged in wing fluttering... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 3 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 5 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 9 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| 10 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Volcanoes National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 13 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 14 | Nyungwe National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 15 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 16 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 17 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 18 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-backed Fiscal sighting in Tarangire National Park on a given day, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 221st most-seen of the 411 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-backed Fiscal in Tarangire National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to May, the lowest months. Those are among Tarangire National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 170 mm in April.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey-backed Fiscal sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 18
Of the 18 parks where we can rate Grey-backed Fiscal sightings, Tarangire National Park ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Lake Nakuru National Park (Kenya, about 60%), Akagera National Park (Rwanda, about 60%) and Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Lanius
The closest relatives of the Grey-backed Fiscal that you can see in Tarangire National Park (genus Lanius, Typical Shrikes) are Long-tailed Fiscal (about 40%), Northern Fiscal (about 10%) and Red-backed Shrike (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey-backed Fiscal is recorded against all the birds logged in Tarangire National Park (53 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.
