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Photo: Frank Vassen from Brussels, Belgium / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Canary Islands Stonechat

Saxicola dacotiae

Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.

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The Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae) is a member of the Muscicapidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 12.2 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Muscicapidae Chats, Old World Flycatchers
  4. Genus Saxicola
  5. Species dacotiae

Where it lives

Eastern Canary Is. (central Macaronesia, northwest of northern Africa)

Quick facts

Weight
12.2 g
Family
Muscicapidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Canary Islands Stonechat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Canary Islands Stonechat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF e Canary Is. (c Macaronesia, nw of n Africa).

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.2 g, with a wing length of about 6.1 cm and a tail of around 4.6 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1,260 km² — a relatively restricted global range.

Songs & calls

Canary Islands Stonechat — Song

Recorded by Mats Rellmar Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Canary Islands Stonechat?

The Canary Islands Stonechat is a very small bird that weighs around 12.2 g.

Where does the Canary Islands Stonechat live?

The Canary Islands Stonechat is found across Africa with a range covering AF e Canary Is. (c Macaronesia, nw of n Africa), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.

What family does the Canary Islands Stonechat belong to?

The Canary Islands Stonechat (Saxicola dacotiae) belongs to the Muscicapidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Canary Islands Stonechat eat?

The Canary Islands Stonechat is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Canary Islands Stonechat migrate?

The Canary Islands Stonechat is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Canary Islands Stonechat endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Canary Islands Stonechat make?

1 real field recording of the Canary Islands Stonechat — 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 Canary Islands Stonechat's range?

The Canary Islands Stonechat has a mapped global range of about 1,260 km².

Conservation

Near Threatened

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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