Common Scimitarbill
Common ScimitarbillCommon ScimitarbillCommon ScimitarbillCommon Scimitarbill

Common Scimitarbill

Rhinopomastus cyanomelas

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
5 Verified sightings at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park From 2019 to 2026
4,160 Verified sightings across all 43 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Common Scimitarbill

The common scimitarbill (Rhinopomastus cyanomelas) is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Adults weigh roughly 35 grams and 26 cm in length. As adults, their beaks are black but as juveniles, their beaks are grey. Females and juveniles are more brown on the front of their body. They feed almost entirely on insects behind the bark of a tree, which is the reason for their probing beak.

(Scimitarbilled woodhoopoe=) Common scimitarbill – Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Black Scimitarbill
LC

Black Scimitarbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rhinopomastus aterrimus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
White-headed Wood Hoopoe
LC

White-headed Wood Hoopoe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoeniculus bollei

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Green Wood Hoopoe
LC

Green Wood Hoopoe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoeniculus purpureus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Forest Woodhoopoe

Forest Woodhoopoe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoeniculus castaneiceps

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill
LC

Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bycanistes subcylindricus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Crowned Hornbill
LC

Crowned Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophoceros alboterminatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-casqued Hornbill
NT

Black-casqued Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ceratogymna atrata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-thighed Hornbill
LC

White-thighed Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bycanistes albotibialis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
African Grey Hornbill
LC

African Grey Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophoceros nasutus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
African Pied Hornbill
LC

African Pied Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophoceros fasciatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Piping Hornbill
LC

Piping Hornbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Bycanistes fistulator

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill
LC

Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Lophoceros camurus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
2 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~20%
3 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
4 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
5 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~20%
6 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~20%
7 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
8 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
9 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
10 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~20%
11 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
12 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
13 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
14 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
15 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
16 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
17 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
18 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
19 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
20 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~10%
21 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
22 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
23 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
24 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
25 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
26 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
27 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
<5%
28 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
29 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
30 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
31 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
32 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
33 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
34 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
35 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
36 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
37 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
38 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
39 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
40 Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
41 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
42 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
43 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Scimitarbill in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Scimitarbill sighting in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Scimitarbill in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Common Scimitarbill in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park