Laniarius mufumbiri
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The papyrus gonolek (Laniarius mufumbiri) is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. It has specialised habitat requirements, being restricted to papyrus swamps. Not yet a threatened species, it has become rare due to habitat loss and pollution.
The papyrus gonolek is a medium-sized bush-shrike some 18 cm (7 in) long. The sexes are similar; the crown is dull yellow, the head, upper parts, wings and tail are black apart from a broad white bar on the wings. The breast and upper belly are vivid orange-crimson, and the lower belly whitish.
This species is difficult to observe and has been little studied. It occurs singly or in pairs in papyrus swamps, lurking among the vegetation and only flying occasionally, usually a short distance over water to another patch of papyrus. Its presence can often be detected by its calls, which consist of brief whistles and grating tearing sounds which have been rendered as "U-tzeu-U-tzee". Sometimes two birds duet. The diet consists mainly of insects such as beetles, flies and ants, but also includes snails, fruit and seeds... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Akagera National Park | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 5 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 6 | Virunga National Park | 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Papyrus Gonolek sighting in Virunga National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 301st most-seen of the 316 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Papyrus Gonolek in Virunga National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
6th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Papyrus Gonolek sightings, Virunga National Park ranks 6th at under 5%. The best odds are in Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 10%), Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 10%) and Kibale National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
Same genus: Laniarius
The closest relatives of the Papyrus Gonolek that you can see in Virunga National Park (genus Laniarius, Boubous and Gonoleks) are Black-headed Gonolek (about 40%), Western Boubou (about 10%) and Tropical Boubou (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Papyrus Gonolek is recorded against all the birds logged in Virunga National Park (6 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.
