Buff-spotted Flufftail (Sarothrura elegans)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Buff-spotted Flufftail

Sarothrura elegans (Smith, A, 1839)

46 gWeight

Busiest months: November–December · Most records: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Buff-spotted Flufftail has been recorded at 55 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. St Lucia – iGwalagwala TrailSouth Africa137 records
  2. SeldomseenZimbabwe64 records
  3. Aberfoyle LodgeZimbabwe59 records
More places
  1. Wamba MarshZimbabwe20 records
  2. Semuliki NP – Kirumya TrailUganda17 records
  3. St Lucia – iMfolozi River mouthSouth Africa17 records
  4. Kakamega Forest NRKenya13 records
  5. Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya12 records
  6. Sani Pass (ZA) – low elevationSouth Africa12 records
  7. Pietermaritzburg – Darvill Resources ParkSouth Africa9 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South AfricaZimbabweUgandaKenyaCameroonTanzaniaCentral African RepublicCôte d’Ivoire

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Buff-spotted Flufftail?

The Buff-spotted Flufftail weighs around 46 g.

Where does the Buff-spotted Flufftail live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

When is the best time to see the Buff-spotted Flufftail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November and December (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Buff-spotted Flufftail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Buff-spotted Flufftail as Least Concern.

What does the Buff-spotted Flufftail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Buff-spotted Flufftail in?

It belongs to the family Flufftails & Forest Rails (Sarothruridae), order Gruiformes.

At a glance

Weight
46 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
85 mm
Tail
37 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
25 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Flufftails & Forest Rails Sarothruridae
Genus
Sarothrura

Other birds in the genus Sarothrura

Buff-spotted Flufftail

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Bart Wursten. ↗

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