Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Blue Flycatcher
Elminia longicauda
African Blue Flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) — 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 African Blue Flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) is a member of the Stenostiridae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 9.9 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 Stenostiridae Fairy Flycatchers
- Genus Elminia
- Species longicauda
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Stenostiridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Blue Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The African Blue Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The African Blue Flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) is a member of the Stenostiridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF c, w.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.9 g, with a wing length of about 6.7 cm and a tail of around 9.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 3.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Blue Flycatcher?
The African Blue Flycatcher is a very small bird that weighs around 9.9 g.
Where does the African Blue Flycatcher live?
The African Blue Flycatcher is found across Africa with a range covering AF c, w, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the African Blue Flycatcher belong to?
The African Blue Flycatcher (Elminia longicauda) belongs to the Stenostiridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the African Blue Flycatcher eat?
The African Blue Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the African Blue Flycatcher migrate?
The African Blue Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the African Blue Flycatcher 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 African Blue Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the African Blue Flycatcher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the African Blue Flycatcher's range?
The African Blue Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 3.9 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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