Photo: Derek Keats (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats ) / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-crowned Tchagra
Tchagra senegalus
Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus) is a member of the Malaconotidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 53.5 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 Tchagra
- Species senegalus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 53.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Malaconotidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-crowned Tchagra is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-crowned Tchagra is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus) belongs to the Malaconotidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF widespread, also Arabian Pen.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 53.5 g, with a wing length of about 8.5 cm and a tail of around 9.3 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 15 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-crowned Tchagra?
The Black-crowned Tchagra is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 53.5 g.
Where does the Black-crowned Tchagra live?
The Black-crowned Tchagra is found across Africa with a range covering AF widespread, also Arabian Pen, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-crowned Tchagra belong to?
The Black-crowned Tchagra (Tchagra senegalus) belongs to the Malaconotidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-crowned Tchagra eat?
The Black-crowned Tchagra is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-crowned Tchagra migrate?
The Black-crowned Tchagra is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-crowned 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 Black-crowned Tchagra make?
1 real field recording of the Black-crowned Tchagra — 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 Black-crowned Tchagra's range?
The Black-crowned Tchagra has a mapped global range of about 15 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.
Explore more birds
More in Malaconotidae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.