Kenya Rufous Sparrow
Kenya Rufous SparrowKenya Rufous SparrowKenya Rufous SparrowKenya Rufous Sparrow

Kenya Rufous Sparrow

Passer rufocinctus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Lake Nakuru National Park
376 Verified records at Lake Nakuru National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The Kenya sparrow (Passer rufocinctus), also known as the Kenya rufous sparrow, is a sparrow found in Kenya and Tanzania. It tends to be found in dry wooded savannah and agricultural areas. Some authorities have lumped the great sparrow (P. motitensis), the Kenya sparrow, and the Socotra sparrow (P. insularis) into P. motitensis following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993). Some authorities also lump Shelley's sparrow and the Kordofan sparrow with this species, or all three with the great sparrow. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Kenya Rufous Sparrow sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 376 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Lake Nakuru National Park

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow
LC

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer griseus

10–20% · With luck
Parrot-billed Sparrow
LC

Parrot-billed Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer gongonensis

<5% · Rare
Chestnut Sparrow
LC

Chestnut Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Passer eminibey

<5% · Rare
Swahili Sparrow
LC

Swahili Sparrow

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Passer suahelicus

<5% · Rare
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
LC

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plocepasser mahali

10–20% · With luck
Yellow-spotted Petronia
LC

Yellow-spotted Petronia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gymnoris pyrgita

<5% · Rare
Gray-headed Social-Weaver
LC

Gray-headed Social-Weaver

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pseudonigrita arnaudi

Insufficient data
Superb Starling
LC

Superb Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis superbus

70–80% · Very likely
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
LC

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Uraeginthus bengalus

60–70% · Likely
Northern Anteater-Chat
LC

Northern Anteater-Chat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myrmecocichla aethiops

60–70% · Likely
Greater Blue-eared Starling
LC

Greater Blue-eared Starling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lamprotornis chalybaeus

60–70% · Likely
Grey-backed Fiscal
LC

Grey-backed Fiscal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lanius excubitoroides

50–60% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
20–30
Feb
30–40
Mar
50–60
Apr
50–60
May
30–40
Jun
30–40
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
50–60
Oct
30–40
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
70–80%
2 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
40–50%
3 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
20–30%
4 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
5 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
10–20%
6 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
5–10%
7 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
8 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
9 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
10 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
11 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
12 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
13 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Kenya Rufous Sparrow in Lake Nakuru National Park?

About 41% of wildlife watchers report a Kenya Rufous Sparrow sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park, based on 376 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Kenya Rufous Sparrow in Lake Nakuru National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Kenya Rufous Sparrow in Lake Nakuru National Park in our monthly data.

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