Photo: Maans Booysen, Birding Weto / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Marsh Tchagra
Bocagia minuta
Marsh Tchagra (Bocagia minuta) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Marsh Tchagra (Bocagia minuta) is a member of the Malaconotidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 34.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Malaconotidae Bushshrikes
- Genus Bocagia
- Species minuta
Quick facts
- Weight
- 34.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Marsh Tchagra is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Marsh Tchagra is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Marsh Tchagra (Bocagia minuta) is a species of bird in the Malaconotidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 34.4 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 cm and a tail of around 7.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 3.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Marsh Tchagra?
The Marsh Tchagra is a small bird that weighs around 34.4 g.
Where does the Marsh Tchagra live?
The Marsh Tchagra is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Marsh Tchagra belong to?
The Marsh Tchagra (Bocagia minuta) belongs to the Malaconotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Marsh Tchagra eat?
The Marsh Tchagra is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Marsh Tchagra migrate?
The Marsh Tchagra is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Marsh Tchagra endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Marsh Tchagra make?
1 real field recording of the Marsh Tchagra — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Marsh Tchagra's range?
The Marsh Tchagra has a mapped global range of about 3.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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