Blue-capped Cordonbleu

Blue-capped Cordonbleu

Uraeginthus cyanocephalus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Samburu National Reserve
141 Verified sightings at Samburu National Reserve From 2019 to 2026
3,326 Verified sightings across all 14 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Blue-capped Cordonbleu

The blue-capped cordon-bleu or blue-capped cordonbleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus) is native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Tanzania in East Africa. This small finch does fairly well in captivity given adequate conditions; however, breeding this finch is said to be quite difficult.

The blue-capped cordon-bleu inhabits the subtropical or tropical (lowland) dry grasslands, shrublands, and deserts of subsaharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 390,000 km2. The finch is an omnivorous passerine eating seeds and small insects. Most of this species do not exceed 7.5 cm (3.0 in) in length and are quiet relative to other finches.

Males have blue on the tops of their heads and tend to be more vivid in colour. On female blue-caps the light brown coloration on the wings extends to the nape of the neck and over the top the head. Pairs dance holding twigs in their beaks, and film using a high-speed camera shows partners tapping their feet between twenty-five and fifty times a second, making a buzzing sound. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
2 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
3 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
4 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
5 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
6 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
7 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~20%
8 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
9 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
10 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
11 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
12 Selous Game Reserve 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
13 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
14 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Blue-capped Cordonbleu in Samburu National Reserve?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue-capped Cordonbleu sighting in Samburu National Reserve, based on 141 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Blue-capped Cordonbleu in Samburu National Reserve?

November has the highest sighting rate for Blue-capped Cordonbleu in Samburu National Reserve in our monthly data.

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