Parus thruppi
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The acacia tit (Melaniparus thruppi), also known as the Somali tit and northern grey tit, is a species of bird in the family Paridae. It is native to north eastern Africa where it occurs in dry acacia habitat. The smallest of the grey Melaniparus tits of Africa, the acacia tit has a glossy blue-black cap, nape, throat and breast contrasting with a large buffy white patch which extends from the bill to the sides of the neck. There is a broad black band which stretches from the breast to the vent. The upperparts are grey with white panels in the wings and there is a white spot on the nape. The underparts are greyish white, broken by the black band. Legs and bill are slate grey. The females tend to have a narrower band than males. Juveniles are similar to the adults but are duller. It measures 11.5–12 cm (4.5–4.7 in) in length and weighs 12 g (0.42 oz).
The acacia tit is found from Ethiopia and Somalia south to north eastern Tanzania. The acacia tit inhabits arid and semi arid wooded and bushed savanna, principally in acacia and stands of trees along streams or rivers, avoiding truly arid regions. It is recorded up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft)... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Acacia Tit sighting in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 302nd most-seen of the 345 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.
July
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Acacia Tit in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to June, the lowest months. That is one of Tsavo East National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 130 mm in November.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Acacia Tit sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Acacia Tit sightings, Tsavo East National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 20%) and Tsavo West National Park (Kenya, about 10%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Acacia Tit that you can see in Tsavo East National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Superb Starling (about 70%), White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (about 70%) and Northern White-crowned Shrike (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Acacia Tit is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo East National Park (8 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.
