Photo: Zieger M / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Bocage’s Akalat
Sheppardia bocagei
Bocage's Akalat (Sheppardia bocagei) — 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 Bocage’s Akalat (Sheppardia bocagei) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 18.3 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 Sheppardia
- Species bocagei
Where it lives
Southeastern DR Congo and western Tanzania to western Angola and northern Zambia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Bocage’s Akalat 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 Bocage’s Akalat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Bocage’s Akalat (Sheppardia bocagei) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF se DR Congo and w Tanzania to w Angola and n Zambia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.3 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 cm and a tail of around 5.4 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 589,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Bocage’s Akalat?
The Bocage’s Akalat is a small bird that weighs around 18.3 g.
Where does the Bocage’s Akalat live?
The Bocage’s Akalat is found across Africa with a range covering AF se DR Congo and w Tanzania to w Angola and n Zambia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Bocage’s Akalat belong to?
The Bocage’s Akalat (Sheppardia bocagei) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Bocage’s Akalat eat?
The Bocage’s Akalat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Bocage’s Akalat migrate?
The Bocage’s Akalat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Bocage’s Akalat 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 Bocage’s Akalat make?
1 real field recording of the Bocage’s Akalat — 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 Bocage’s Akalat's range?
The Bocage’s Akalat has a mapped global range of about 589,000 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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