Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
African Stonechat
Saxicola torquatus
African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 14.1 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 Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
- Genus Saxicola
- Species torquatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 14.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The African Stonechat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The African Stonechat is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF sw Arabian Pen. and Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 14.1 g, with a wing length of about 6.8 cm and a tail of around 5 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 32.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the African Stonechat?
The African Stonechat is a very small bird that weighs around 14.1 g.
Where does the African Stonechat live?
The African Stonechat is found across Africa with a range covering AF sw Arabian Pen. and Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the African Stonechat belong to?
The African Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the African Stonechat eat?
The African Stonechat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the African Stonechat migrate?
The African Stonechat is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the African Stonechat 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 Stonechat make?
1 real field recording of the African Stonechat — 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 African Stonechat's range?
The African Stonechat has a mapped global range of about 32.7 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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