Macronyx aurantiigula
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The Pangani longclaw (Macronyx aurantiigula) is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae, which includes the pipits and wagtails. It is found in Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia. The bird's natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. Primarily insectivorous, it forages in short grasslands and wetlands, using its long claws to scratch for prey such as grasshoppers and beetles. However, habitat loss due to agricultural expansion has led to population declines.
Originally described by German ornithologist Anton Reichenow in 1891, the Pangani longclaw is a member of the longclaw genus Macronyx. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek words μακρός/makros "long", and ονυξ/onyx "claw" or "talons". The species name is derived from the Latin words aurantium "orange", and gŭla "throat" or "gullet"
The Pangani longclaw measures around 20 cm (8 in) in length. As its species name suggests, it has a yellow-orange throat. This is bordered with a black necklace. The upperparts are mottled various shades of brown, and the belly is yellow. In immature birds, the belly is more buff than yellow and the dark breast band less distinct. The... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 3 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Lake Manyara National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pangani Longclaw sighting in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, based on 79 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 130th most-seen of the 345 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March, May and August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Pangani Longclaw in Tsavo East National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February, April, June–July and September–December, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pangani Longclaw sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Pangani Longclaw sightings, Tsavo East National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Mkomazi National Park (Tanzania, about 20%), Arusha National Park (Tanzania, about 20%) and Nairobi National Park (Kenya, about 20%).
Same family: Motacillidae
The closest relatives of the Pangani Longclaw that you can see in Tsavo East National Park (family Motacillidae, Wagtails and Pipits) are Golden Pipit (about 40%), African Pied Wagtail (about 20%) and Grassveld Pipit (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pangani Longclaw is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo East National Park (79 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.
